The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation is demanding that the Spanish government provides more National Police for Palma Son Sant Joan Airport.
The federation is concerned by problems that have been occurring at passport control at certain times of the day and most obviously at weekends. The hoteliers have previously asked for 'Operation Summer' in Mallorca to start in June and not from the first of July. This operation, coordinated by the national government delegation in the Balearics, involves reinforcement of state security force numbers - National Police and Guardia Civil.
The hoteliers are not the only ones demanding more police. Coach operators are as well. The volume of air traffic and delays at passport control are causing problems in the arrivals zone outside the terminal building for picking up holidaymakers and transferring them to their destinations. Tour operators are also wanting the Spanish authorities to provide all means necessary to overcome issues, especially with regard to British holidaymakers.
The SUP police union in the Balearics has itself criticised the delays, saying that officers don't want to come to work in the Balearics because the compensation they receive is not sufficient to meet the high cost of living on the islands. "The big losers from the lack of police are the citizens and tourists," says the SUP.
As it is, the union is praising the work of the police that there are at the airport. "If it were not for them, the airport would come to a standstill."
The Aena airports authority is meantime looking to streamline operational procedures as much as possible, but also points to the need for more police at passport control.