Figures for Palma Son Sant Joan Airport indicate that 15,250 planes used the private jet terminal between January and November last year. When December is added, the annual total is expected to top 16,000, a record number.
Over the course of the year, movement of private jets and air taxis pointed to Mallorca having become the preferred destination for European luxury tourism in the Mediterranean. In high summer, there were 2,383 and 2,081 flights in July and August respectively. In June, there were 2,130, up from 1,835 in 2021, which was the previous record for the month. Although there were in fact decreases in the numbers of flights in July and August last year compared with 2021, there was an increase of 75% compared with 2019.
Ibiza is not far behind Palma; the total number of flights in 2022 is forecast to be over 15,000.
Private jet traffic in the Balearics has become a political issue in that Podemos have lodged questions and proposals with the European Commission regarding the increase in flights at Palma and Ibiza airports and their impact on emissions.
Podemos are calling for a tax on the fuel used by private planes and a reduction in the number of flights. Palma and Ibiza are among Europe's top ten in terms of private flights.
The party wants the Commission to discourage the use of this "highly polluting" means of transport and insists that it is "totally contradictory" that the fuel used by this type of aircraft is exempt from paying taxes, when owners - according to the Transport & Environment campaign group - have accumulated assets of 1,300 million euros.