In Es Carnatge on the Bay of Palma, representatives of local residents and associations gathered on Saturday morning to monitor flights and their noise. There were takeoffs or landings every two minutes. The decibel level was up to 97.
Their action on Saturday was in order to draw attention to a demand for a reduction in air traffic and for a ban on flights between 11pm and 6am. The noise, they pointed out, "affects people's health". Around 19,000 residents are estimated to be affected, and they have "the right to rest". Coll d'en Rebassa, Can Pastilla, Sant Jordi and Sa Casa Blanca are the places where flight noise is the greatest.
Pere Joan Femenia, spokesperson for the Platform Against Airport Expansion, called for a night ban, as there is in parts of Europe. "The noise level in bedrooms exceeds 70 decibels." The group wants the Balearic Government to come up with legislation for flight time restrictions, noting that there are no studies on the health effects of aircraft noise in the Balearics.
At Zurich Airport as well as at numerous German airports - Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, for instance - there are bans from 11pm to 6am. Regardless of this ban, a Frankfurt study reckoned that aircraft noise was responsible for 2,340 hospital admissions and 340 deaths each year.
September 13 is the International Day for the Ban on Night Flights at Airports, as promoted by the Stay Grounded Network. There is support for the night ban in Palma from the likes of the environmentalists GOB, the Palma federation of residents associations, and Menys Turisme Més Vida (Less Tourism More Life).
As well as people's health and rest, the group argues that travellers would also benefit from a night ban, a reason being reduced transport options. The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 45 decibels during the day and 40 decibels at night, although EU legislation has an average of 55 decibels.