Normal traffic at airport

TRAFFIC was normal at Palma's Son Sant Joan airport, even though it had to handle the highest number of passengers so far this year.
The airport authority, AENA, announced that the airport handled 880 flights and 127'500 passengers yesterday. Average delays by the end of the afternoon were of about 20 minutes. The only incident reported by AENA occurred at the arrival and later departure of the weekly charter flight of the Canadian company Sky Service Airlines between Toronto and Palma, with a stop in Belfast. The 350 passengers come here to embark on a week's cruise around the Mediterranean. Following ministry of health instructions, all operations linked with airports in countries considered a ‘danger' because of SARS are subject to special security measures to prevent contagion. The AENA's health department carried out a check on crew and passengers which delayed the arrival and the departure of the two contingents of Canadian tourists. Son Sant Joan will be handling 298'000 passengers this weekend, between Friday and Sunday, nearly 7'700 more than the same weekend last year, representing a five per cent increase. But the number of passengers does not imply a growth in hotel occupancy (see story page 3) because many ticket sales are seat only.
Hoteliers reckon that 40 per cent of passengers at the airport do not stay in hotels.