Spain’s ministry of transport says that the debt owed to airlines in respect of the residents’ discount is a specific administrative issue that will not affect service. The amounts will be paid, “once all administrative procedures are completed”, and the 75% discount “will undoubtedly not be changed”.

Spain’s Airlines Association (ALA) is concerned that unpaid bills could climb from a current total of 810 million euros to 1.5 billion because the government has been unable to set a budget for 2025. In order to prevent this, the airlines are urging the government to treat airlines as mere intermediaries. Otherwise, airlines operating routes to and from the mainland and between the islands could be forced to cease operating some routes or to reduce frequencies due to the “unsustainable and financially crippling situation generated by the government’s non-payments”.

The ALA president, Javier Gándara, argues that if the situation continues, routes could become unviable and therefore affect employment and economic development. “Air transport is the enabler of tourism activity in the Balearics, which is the main engine of economic growth and generator of employment, accounting for 45% of GDP and 32% of employment.”

The association contrasts a lack of government budgetary commitment with the efforts of airlines to increase air connectivity, “which is essential for territorial cohesion, trade, and economic and social development”.

The regional government, for its part, is demanding that the Spanish Government immediately resolves the residents’ discount issue, stating that it is unacceptable that Balearic citizens could be affected. The Balearic ministry for mobility makes it clear that this is “100% the responsibility of the central government”.

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