The inauguration of the flight with Dubai provokes a new protest against the Balearic tourism model

PalmaA group of activists from the Platform against the airport expansion and SOS Residents carried out a protest action this Friday at Palma airport, coinciding with the inauguration of the new air route connecting Mallorca with Dubai. The protesters staged an "ironic welcome" to the first passengers of the flight to denounce the environmental and social impact that, in their opinion, the opening of new international connections to the island entails.

According to the entities, the activists positioned themselves at the exit of the Son Sant Joan car park with banners that read 'Welcome, Abu Dhabi' and 'I wish you would respect our island more than your women' ('We hope you would respect our island more than you respect your women').

Platforms assure that the action aims to make visible the "serious social concern" that exists regarding the policies promoted by Aena and public administrations, which, in their opinion, contribute to deepening the effects of the current tourism model. The groups criticize that, while the Government publicly defends measures to contain tourism, new air routes are launched during the high season. In this regard, they point not only to the connection with Dubai, operated by Etihad Airways, but also to other long-haul routes, such as the recent connection with Montreal.

The entities denounce that since 2022 nearly twenty new air connections to Mallorca have been launched, a figure they consider incompatible with the discourse of limiting tourism growth defended by Marga Prohens' Executive. Furthermore, they attribute direct responsibility to the Government for the opening of the route to Dubai and recall the participation of the Consell de Mallorca in the Arabian Travel Market tourism fair in Abu Dhabi.

Activists have also railed against Etihad Airways' promotional campaign, which, they claim, presents Mallorca as a luxury destination and contributes to fostering an elitist tourism model that ignores problems such as saturation, the housing crisis, and pressure on natural resources. According to the entities' calculations, each journey on this connection generates a carbon footprint of between 52 and 55 tons of CO₂. Furthermore, they warn that increased international connectivity could translate into greater tourist and demographic pressure on the island, as well as an increase in housing prices and environmental impacts associated with the sector's growth.