THE discounts we residents on the Baleares and the Canary Islands receive on journeys to the mainland are not free. The 50% reduction is paid by mainlanders who are not entitled to the same benefit when they visit us. Why should we consider this our entitlement? We choose to live on this lovely island why should we expect subsidies on top? Why did this all come about? Politicians are the prime cause. For years transport has been a hot potato and a vote catcher/loser for them. The state airline Iberia had an essential monopoly. They charged what they liked so flights to Europe were very expensive. If going to the UK you might have tried BA (also state owned then) but they were both hand-in-glove and had a price fixing agreement. Because few Spanish voters flew this route politicians had little interest. The internal flights were much more relevant on polling day and their subsidies were funded by the international passengers.
The liberalisation of flying routes and the denationalisation of state airways has changed all that. The discounts had to be picked up by the Government but now in these tough times they are looking high and low for ways to economise. But the liberalisation of air routes has not been 100%. Ryanair and the like are often relegated to minor airports difficult to get to and from. Jason Moore (Viewpoint Saturday) makes a valid point. If the no-frills companies can fly cheaper to Britain or Germany than local airlines can do for a fraction of the distance, even including the discount, the answer seems clear. There is no need for the analysis that President Francesc Antich intends to ask for next week in Madrid. Open the skies to all I'm sure the budget airlines will soon put Iberia and its cohorts out of business unless they become more cost effective. The subsidy then would not be needed.
One thing in the small print which must not be allowed to slip under the radar was his reference to a public air service. Is this the start of Air Balear from the same people who brought us the Metro, the Velodrome, Soller Tunnel, Son Olms Industrial Estate, Bon Sosec Crematorium etc., etc? God forbid!
Mike Lillico, Playa de Palma
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