Summer holiday nightmare: chaos continues at Mallorca airport

Reading time: 2 minutes

Extreme weather conditions have caused major disruptions at Mallorca’s Palma Son Sant Joan airport, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded as more than 300 flights have been cancelled or delayed. Amid the chaos, airlines and airport officials are scrambling to restore normal operations.

Flight cancellations and delays:
Torrential rain and severe flooding in the Balearic Islands in recent days have led to the cancellation of 150 flights on Wednesday, 180 on Thursday and 10 on Friday. Passengers have faced long waits and uncertainty as they try to navigate the disruption caused by the storms.

Airline response:
Ryanair, one of the airlines affected by the cancellations, apologised to its passengers but criticised Spanish air traffic control for what it called an “absurd” decision to prevent the planes from landing. The airline pointed out that while flights out of Palma were continuing as normal, inbound flights were being disrupted, causing confusion and frustration among travellers.

Impact of the storm on the Balearic Islands:
The heavy rains, part of the “DANA depression”, have affected not only Mallorca but also the surrounding islands. In Menorca, the situation has become so serious that the Civil Guard has had to carry out helicopter rescues of 16 people stranded by the floods. The Menorcan authorities are now asking the Spanish government to declare the most seriously affected areas a “disaster zone”.

Restoring normal operations:
Reports indicate that conditions at Palma airport are beginning to improve, with ‘normality’ expected to return by Saturday 17th August. The airport has issued a statement saying that while some delays continue, most are now limited to less than 30 minutes, a significant improvement on previous disruptions.

Jet2 Update:
British airline Jet2 has also informed its passengers about ongoing maintenance work at Palma airport, while reassuring them of the efforts being made to ensure a smooth airport experience. The airline has provided specific check-in and boarding instructions to help travellers manage the situation.

Conclusion:
As the Balearic Islands recover from the impact of recent storms, tourists and locals are hoping for a quick return to normal at Mallorca’s Palma Son Sant Joan Airport. While the worst of the storms may be over, the situation is a reminder of the unpredictability of travel during extreme weather events.