Mallorca airport plan: 50m passengers by 2031
Palma Airport on Mallorca is forecast to handle 35.67 million passengers in 2031 under a new Balearic airport plan approved by Spain’s central government on Tuesday. Across Palma, Eivissa and Menorca, the DORA III airport plan forecasts 49.84 million passengers that year. MÉS per Mallorca MP Vicenç Vidal says the islands cannot take that growth and wants the plan withdrawn.
DORA III sets out €1.03 billion of investment in Balearic airports between 2027 and 2031. Palma Airport is allocated €621.6 million, while Eivissa gets €229.7 million, Menorca €170.7 million and Son Bonet €7.9 million.
Passenger numbers rise across the islands
The forecast for Palma Airport rises from 34.27 million passengers in 2027 to 35.67 million in 2031. Eivissa is projected to go from 9.17 million to 9.72 million, and Menorca from 4.28 million to 4.45 million.
Together, the three airports would move from 47.72 million passengers in 2027 to 49.84 million in 2031 — an increase of 2.12 million a year in four years.
Vidal said the Balearics already faced saturation, with consequences for land, housing, mobility and quality of life. He argued that the investment must not be used to create extra airport capacity.
MÉS demands a say over airports
The MÉS per Mallorca representative backed spending on safety, residents’ connections and service quality, but opposed investment aimed at continued growth. He also called for public transport in proper condition, lower emissions and fewer impacts from airports.
MÉS wants DORA III withdrawn until the islands have real decision-making powers over airport management. Vidal urged Congress to debate his party’s proposal for joint management of Balearic airports and called on Congress president Francina Armengol and the PSOE to allow it to proceed.
He also demanded a timed plan to reverse the privatisation of airport operator Aena and restore public control of the airport network. Vidal said the islands should not be left watching while decisions on infrastructure shaping their economic, territorial and tourism model are taken elsewhere.
More on this topic: Traffic on Mallorca
Topics: Tourism · Traffic · Politics · Palma
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com