Two senior air navigation officials have warned that Palma de Mallorca’s airport faced a significant safety risk on 29 October 2024. The absence of local air traffic flow controllers in Son Sant Joan, due to staff shortages, meant that crucial operations were handled remotely from Madrid. Also at a time when a severe DANA was causing major disruptions in Valencia.
The officials are from Enaire, the public company responsible for managing air navigation in Spain. It is not the first time the aviation sector has raised concerns over staffing shortages in air traffic control, especially in high-traffic regions like the Balearic Islands. During peak travel seasons, Palma can handle over 1,000 flights per day, making the need for well-staffed operations even more critical.
However, internal reports from Enaire reveal that on 29 October, no technical air traffic flow controllers (TCA) were present at Palma’s control centre. These professionals are responsible for monitoring and managing flight traffic, particularly in times of crisis. Instead, Madrid had to take over these duties, leading to concerns over the airport’s operational safety.
Warnings from industry leaders
According to Diario de Mallorca, the head of Operational Safety at Palma Airport warned his superiors that the situation could have led to disaster. In an internal email, Gregorio Mut stated, “Fortunately, this time, providence spared us any major consequences.” The Balearic Islands narrowly escaped the severe weather conditions that battered Valencia. Consequently, preventing large-scale flight diversions from overwhelming an understaffed Palma control tower.
Jorge Pérez, head of Operations at Palma Airport, echoed these concerns. He criticised the decision to operate without local air traffic flow controllers as an “absolute irresponsibility”. He further noted that if the storm had shifted eastward towards the Balearic Islands, the airport would have been entirely unprepared to manage the influx of diverted flights.
A system under strain
At the end of October, Palma Airport was already handling high volumes of air traffic. In the days leading up to the DANA, over 800 flights per day were recorded. Despite this, no TCA staff were on duty at Palma on 28 and 29 October. This left Madrid’s control centre responsible for managing the flow of aircraft, a temporary measure implemented due to staff shortages. Fortunately, diverted flights from Valencia were rerouted to Barcelona and Alicante instead of Palma, averting a potential crisis.
Response Enaire
Enaire acknowledges that “due to a coincidence of medical leave and work-related permits, there was no staff available to cover the service from the local unit in Palma.” However, the organisation insists that this absence did not pose a risk to air safety, as traffic flow was managed from Madrid without incidents. “At no point was the provision of the air traffic flow management service interrupted, nor was there any reduction in its quality or the safety of the service provided,” added a spokesperson for the public company.