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Flights double as demand takes off

Health Controls at Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma. | Ultima Hora

| Majorca-International |

The number of flights in and out of Son Sant Joan Airport doubled on July 1 as demand soared from 85 flights on Tuesday to 210 on Wednesday, according to AENA.

66 of the flights are domestic traffic and the other 144 flights are to and from European destinations and Enaire says daily Airport traffic will steadily increase from now on, with 250 flights scheduled in July and 300 in August, according to the airline slot forecasts given to Eurocontrol.

The opening of borders and the lifting of the UK’s quarantine for foreign tourists and returning holidaymakers, except from the so-called red zones, has led to a massive rise in reservations.

"The increase in demand will rise progressively, but we will still be a very long way from what was registered in 2019,” said European Tour Operators.

The drastic change in demand in July, compared to the second half of June is likely to result in more Hotels opening in Majorca, but not all Sectors are recovering.

"Our forecast is that discretionary Tourist Road Transport will not be reactivated until around July 20, but it is also true that everything changes from week to week,” said Rafael Roig, President of the Balearic Business Transport Federation, or FEBT.

Health controls

AENA will provide the Ministry of Health with Covid-19 health controls for International passengers at Airports and has tendered two contracts. One has been awarded to Quirónprevention for Healthcare Personnel for 8.9 million euros, and another to Interserve for Support Personnel for 10.8 million euros.

The procedure consists of Primary Control for all International passengers, based on temperature control using thermal imaging cameras and the collection of the Passenger Location Card or PLC, which is to be automated with a QR code.

AENA has assigned more than 25 extra Healthcare Professionals to Son Sant Joan Airport to cope with the substantial increase in traffic expected in July, August and September.

Tour Operators

Tour Operators are demanding that hoteliers in Majorca and the rest of the Islands press for the reopening of leisure activities during July and August to revitalise tourist vacation areas.

"A holiday destination like Majorca, with all the health and safety measures in force, could gradually reopen leisure activities", said Germany’s DRV and the UK’s ABTA.

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