Strikes & disputes cause delays at Palma airport
Many flights at Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport experienced severe delays on Wednesday July 21. This is the worst disruption the airport has seen since the April crisis involving the Icelandic volcano eruptions.
The delays were due to the strike action of French air traffic controllers, which disrupted flight schedules between Palma and its two major tourist markets, Germany and the UK. The issue was compounded by a shortage of Spanish air traffic controllers, who are also involved in a long running dispute with the Spanish government over working hours and conditions.
There were nine flight cancelations and 82 flights were delayed by an average of seven hours, affecting 85,000 passengers.
Despite the chaos across Europe’s airports, Palma’s airport was able to keep passengers relatively calm and comfortable and few complaints were filed. There are approximately 600 scheduled flights on Wednesdays during the summer, compared to 900 at the weekend.
