Going Nowhere

By Jason Moore

ONCE again Majorca is facing the possibility of only a handful of flights to Britain during the winter season. Infact, there will be no direct flight from Palma to Scotland which is quite incredible considering the large number of Scottish people who live on the island or who have second homes here. Now, I have talked to the airlines about this issue. They say that they are not operating more flights because there is no demand. The airlines point out that not many tourists want to come to Majorca during the winter months because the resorts are like ghosts towns and the weather isn´t great either.

They prefer to use their slots at the major British airports for flights to more sunnier parts of the world. However, this is a job for the local authorities. First they must convince hoteliers and bar and restaurant owners to stay open in the resorts. Secondly they must tell the tour firms and airlines that they are making a special effort and therefore they should return the compliment with more winter flights. It's as simple or as difficult as that.

The Balearic President Jose Ramon Bauza said last month that he wanted more winter flights to the island. We all do. But unfortunately the airlines are not listening for obvious reasons. Majorca could very easily become a major winter resort but it needs some imagination from our local authorities. The season gets shorter every year and Majorca is paying the price, especially during the winter months.