Figures from the Spanish association that coordinates time slots point to a 6.4% increase for Palma, a 4.5% rise for Ibiza and 8.1% more for Menorca. In total, these amount to 47.8 million seats. In 2024 there were 45 million. The airlines' summer season runs from the start of April until the end of October.
While the number of seats is up, there will be a decrease in the number of flights from 284,976 in 2024 to 271,641. This is the first time since the pandemic that flights have decreased, the reason being that the planes are generally larger.
Notable is the fact that fewer airlines account for the bulk of the flights. For Mallorca almost 50% of flights will be operated by four airlines - Ryanair, Eurowings, Vueling and easyJet. The top ten of airlines also includes Jet2 and TUI, both with double-digit increases. The number of airlines with at least 60 Palma operations is down from 97 in 2024 to 74 this year.
Flights to and from German airports, e.g. Berlin, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, provide the most traffic for Mallorca, while Ibiza and Menorca are primarily served by Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Paris and Milan.
As ever with the figures for numbers of seats, these don't necessarily mean that the numbers of passengers increase by the same percentages, while the passengers aren't all tourists. Nevertheless, they offer an indication of potential growth in tourist numbers in 2025.
Proposals to have emerged from the Balearic Government's sustainability pact include limiting the number of low-cost flights in the high season and an environmental tax on tourist flights. How feasible either of these proposals would be is open to question.
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I would really like to know where the low cost flights are. Being maybe a little strange, I prefer traveling at civilised times, with booked seats, and as I don’t wish to spend a holiday in one set of clothes , I have luggage. So easy jet from Newcastle to Palma £800 and £100 less than jet2. For 2 people return. Similar situation with my travel to Florence klm via Amsterdam. £620. So Palma is expensive. Or is it. Jet2 offer a self catering package for just over £1k in a resort. Including transfers. So either independent travellers are being milked, or the travel companies are getting accommodations for £200 .. or maybe both. Hardly a way to promote upmarket tourism.