Palma de Mallorca Airport
The airport of Mallorca is located 8 km east of the capital city of Palma and is also known as Son Sant Joan airport. It is Spain's third largest airport based on passenger numbers after Madrid and Barcelona. 86% of the passengers are holidaymakers with the majority travelling from Germany, followed by Spain and then the UK.
Seventy airlines use Palma de Mallorca Airport, flying between 169 destinations in thirty countries. In 2016, over 26 million passengers passed through the airport from just under 200,000 flight operations. The airport has parking for ninety-seven aircraft, thirty-five with air bridge access, and the two runways can handle the largest commercial aircraft.
Terminal Buildings & Facilities
The single terminal building has two stories and divided into four modules; Module A, Module B, Module C and Module D. Module A is for inter-island flights while modules B, C and D are for international and domestic flights.
The check-in area is divided into six zones, A to F, and there are 195 check-in counters and two self-service desks. There are eighty-four boarding gates and nineteen carousels in the baggage reclaim area.
Distributed between the arrivals and departures areas are thirty-seven food and drink facilities incorporating bars, cafeterias, restaurants and fast food outlets. There are thirty-six shops including duty-free, fashion and sports, jewellers, gift shops and pharmacies. Click here to see a full list shops in each Module.
Throughout the airport, free and unlimited Wi-Fi is available along with internet access points. There is a post office in the check-in area and post boxes in the departures and arrivals halls. At various locations, there are ATMs, currency exchange, information desks, a lost & found office, and medical facilities. Assistance is available for people with reduced mobility.
Public Transport & Parking
There are sufficient public transportation services to travel all around the island. Buses are the most popular service form the airport, as well as taxis and private transfers for shorter distances.
- Buses - Six bus services operate from the airport to La Palma, the port and all the main tourist resorts around the island. Click here for more information.
- Taxis - The taxi rank is located directly outside the arrivals hall and taxis operate twenty-four hours a day. More information on taxis is available here.
- Trains - There is a small rail network on Mallorca, but it does not serve the airport. The closest stop is at Placa d'Espanya in Palma city. It will take approximately 16 minutes to reach by taxi or just under 30 minutes by bus.
- Car Rental - Seven car rental companies have offices in the arrivals hall. They offer a choice of vehicles to meet your needs form economy to luxury, and 6 & 8 seater vehicles. More information on car rental is available here.
There are a number of car parking options at the airport, with general parking, long-stay, VIP and first-class parking, all with easy access to the terminal building. More details on parking is available here.
History
Flights to Mallorca began early in the twentieth century with the establishment of a postal route between the mainland and the Balearic Islands.
The first tourist flights to the island started in 1934 with the creation of the company Aero-Taxi de Mallorca. They operated out of the Son Sant Joan airfield. In 1935, LAPE, the predecessor of Iberia, opened the first scheduled service between Madrid and Palma. This was later replaced by a Barcelona to Palma route. Commercial operations later moved to the Son Bonet aerodrome as Son Sant Joan became the base for military aviation.
By the late fifties, as air traffic increased and Son Bonet had been extended as far as possible, it was decided to build a large commercial airport at Son Sant Joan, separate from the military operation. In 1960, Son Sant Joan Airport opened for domestic and international air traffic.
With continuous growth in passenger numbers over the decades, the airport has been enlarged and extended until it evolved into the modern facility that exists today.
Palma de Mallorca Airport now has the capacity to handle 34 million passengers per year.