Editorial: Fighting his corner

If Majorca ever gets a direct flight to the island from Scotland we will probably have to thank Ian Rice. Ian is a holiday home owner in Santa Ponsa but lives in Scotland. He has written to the Balearic President Jose Ramon Bauza and the local ministry for tourism informing them of the shortage of flights during the winter. This week he received a reply from the ministry for tourism who said that they were trying to overcome the shortage of low season flights especially to Scotland. Ian Rice will be travelling to his beloved Majorca later this week but his journey will take 12 hours and will mean a 6 a.m. start. He will fly from Edinburgh to Stansted and then wait around for the Ryanair flight. He should arrive in Santa Ponsa by 6p.m.! He told me yesterday that it would be quicker to travel to India or New York! Majorca is one of the most difficult places to get to in the world during the winter, he said. But at least the local authorities are now aware of the problem and hopefully they may try and resolve the situation. Many Scots bought holiday homes on the island 10 years ago only to find that there were no flights during the winter months. Some people say that the shortage of flights has become a “chestnut” and nothing will ever be done. I disagree and I think Ian Rice is proving all these people wrong. The only way that the shortage of flights will be resolved is if the issue is kept firmly in the public eye. And that we are certainly doing.