One hundred people demonstrated at Palma airport
Sunday, February 1st, 2015
One hundred people demonstrated at Palma airport
The demonstration on Monday at Palma airport, Son Sant Joan, was against the planned partial privatization of the Spanish airport operator Aena.
The Government of the conservative People’s Party in Madrid wants to privatize 49 percent of the state company. Madrid hopes for proceeds of up to 2.3 billion euros. Of this share 21 percent are a group of investors who assured that they will pay a total of 1.6 billion euros. 51 percent of Aena will thus remain in state hands.
The partial privatization of Aena is bitter for Mallorca, because the Son Sant Joan airport yields high profits and the Balearic Islands have always required to be duly involved in the airport company.
The Balearic Socialists opposition meanwhile expect a decrease in traffic due to the partial privatization of Aena. The operation was a “serious mistake” and an “injustice” against the Balearic Islands, the MP said Damià Borràs.
143 foreign residents expelled from the Balearics in 2014
During 2014, 143 foreigners were expelled from the Balearic Islands according to data handled by a government commission. Of these 67 were expulsions from a prison related situation, i.e. after serving a sentence for an offense.
Extradition orders effect foreigners without papers having a police record, that is those who have committed crimes or are involved in criminal proceedings.
Of the total deported, the other76 were expulsions that occurred outside a prison related setting, which means these ones had committed crimes without getting a custodial sentence.
The number of expulsions in 2014 can be considered low compared to past years, due to the decreasing amount of foreigners. With fewer citizens from outside, even if the crisis persists, the rate of offending is less.
In the years of boom immigration and in the early years of the crisis there were many more deportations, about double according to a police source, this being because there were more people offending.
Mallorca bookings pick-up end of 2014
German bookings for holidays on Mallorca picked up in December while Egypt continued its strong recovery but Turkey weakened, according to new figures from leading reservations providers.
Package holiday bookings to Palma de Mallorca airport showed an 11% year-on-year rise December, giving Mallorca a 23% share of all bookings to the 10 largest destination airports, the monthly sales figures showed. This was a clear improvement on November when the island saw a 12% drop in bookings, and a lower 20% market share.
