The airports authority's plans have been met with much opposition. | Archive

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Palma town hall's urban planning department has said that it cannot give the green light to plans for Son Sant Joan Airport unless the Spanish government alters growth forecasts and takes into account resources and capacity in Mallorca.

Neus Truyol, councillor for the model of the city and sustainability, said after Tuesday's meeting of the planning council that proposals made by the airports authority Aena are "totally out of date" and based on a 2001 plan for the airport. Aena's new plan "does not take into account population carrying capacity that the island can support and does not incorporate climate sustainability criteria".

Under the plan, which envisages a 77% increase of the current built area at the airport, a passenger ceiling of 50 million a year is foreseen. In 2019, the number was 29 million. For Truyol: "Current tourist overcrowding is totally unsustainable. In the future, there has to be a reduction in the number of tourists in order to increase residents' quality of life and to improve conservation of the environment and visitors' experiences."