Thousands of people march through Palma against the airport expansion and demand to curb the growth in the number of flights

PalmaThousands of people have marched through the streets of Palma this Sunday to protest against the increase in airport capacity and demand that air traffic growth be curbed. The demonstration began at 6:00 PM in front of the Government Delegation and ended at the Consolat de la Mar, with the slogan 'No more expansion, no more promotion'. The protest was convened by the Platform against the Airport Expansion, and neighborhood, environmental, and social organizations participated in it.

Before starting the march, a first manifesto was read in front of the Delegation. One of the most applauded moments was the appearance of Madò Farta, who participated in the mobilization with the banner 'Airport expansion NO. We continue fighting, we do not give up'.

Throughout the route, chants of 'No to the expansion' and 'Neither more expansion, nor more promotion' were repeated, while the streets were filled with banners with different demands. Among other protests, there were also those from neighborhood groups affected by airport activity and from platforms calling for the preservation of other areas of the territory.

Upon arrival at the Consolat de Mar, the protesters gathered the posters and banners in a large protest display before the reading of a second manifesto. The organizers demanded a reduction in the number of commercial flights, limits on private planes, an end to night flights, and progress towards greater participation of the Balearic institutions in the management of the airports.

The protest comes after the forecasts of DORA III were known, the document that sets Aena's investments for the 2027-2031 period. Across the Balearic Islands, the forecasts point to an increase in capacity and the arrival of up to 50 million passengers in 2031. In the case of Palma, the investment planned by Aena exceeds 600 million euros.

The spokesperson for the Platform against the Expansion, Pere Joan Femenia, argued during the day that the Islands have already reached their limit and demanded that the number of flights be reduced. He also focused on private flights and new air connections, while the entities questioned that the increase in capacity does not imply an increase in tourist pressure.

Simultaneous protests in Ibiza and Barcelona

The mobilization in Palma has coincided with two more protests against airport plans. In Ibiza, about 2,000 people, according to the organizers, have marched through the city streets called by the Association of Youth of Ibiza. The march ended with the reading of a manifesto against the airport reform project and the increase in capacity.

In Barcelona, the Zeroport platform also called for a large demonstration this Sunday against the expansion of El Prat airport. The protest took place during the morning and had the support of hundreds of organizations and groups. In this way, Palma, Ibiza, and Barcelona experienced simultaneous mobilizations this Sunday against the airport growth plans.