A piece of aviation history in Palma

The Coronado, one of only four remaining anywhere in the world and the only one in Spain, was listed as a cultural asset by the Council in 2011.

Cladera’s predecessor, Miquel Ensenyat, took a close interest in the restoration of the plane, an association - Amics de Son Sant Joan - having been to the fore in seeking restoration for many years. Work has been carried out to parts of the cabin and the exterior.

It is hoped that the plane will eventually be moved to a special hangar.

Since being abandoned in Palma, it has been in the military area of the airport.

The Convair 990 Coronado is an American narrow-body four-engined jet airliner and American Airlines asked Convair to design an aircraft for coast-to-coast flights, able to fly nonstop from New York City to Los Angeles against the wind.

They wanted a somewhat larger passenger capacity than the 880, which was the smallest of the first-generation U.S. jet airliners. The 990 began flight testing January 24, 1961