Could commercial seaplane flights return to Puerto Pollensa? The Majorcan Aeronautical Foundation hopes that they might and has ambitions for a service of tourist flights that would connect the bay of Pollensa with Formentera.
The foundation's president, Miguel Buades, says that the proposal has already been made to the regional minister for transport, Marc Pons, and the director-general for ports, Xavier Ramis. The foundation also has permission from the ministry of defence for civil seaplanes to land in the bay. It's the only place in Spain where this is permitted and so, according to Buades, opens up "a world of possibilities" for new seaplane flights.
Agreement from the regional government would be required, while the yacht club in Puerto Pollensa would also need to support the initiative. On Saturday, the foundation is to make a presentation about its International Mediterranean Seaplane Club at the yacht club.
But the club may well prove to be a stumbling-block, as the foundation would want to make use of marina facilities. As has been well publicised, not least by the recent row over "poor Majorcans" and the lack of moorings for members, the club doesn't have sufficient space as it is. Xavier Ramis notes that there is a problem with space. He also says that the foundation has yet to formally make a request for authorisation to the islands' ports directorate.
The foundation has been the organiser of the seaplane events staged in Puerto Pollensa in recent years. The bay does of course have a history of seaplane flights: military, commercial and firefighting. It was once a stopping-off point for the Southampton-based Aquila Airways which operated a flying boats route to Las Palmas. Increasing competition from regular airlines and a crash in the Isle of Wight in November 1957 (45 were killed) led to its closure in 1958.