Balearic and Canary Islands 'panicking' over flight threat with UK tourists warned
The axing of certain routes could 'seriously compromise' the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, it has been warned.
The Balearic Islands and Canary Islands could be rocked by flight cancellations and services being axed - with UK tourists warned. The axing of certain routes could 'seriously compromise' the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, it has been warned.
The Airlines Association (ALA) has issued a warning over the government’s failure to pay airline subsidies for resident discounts. The lack of payment could lead to certain routes being suspended and reductions in other flights, it is feared.
The government owes £680 million (€810 million) to the airlines that operate routes to the holiday hotspots in the European Union. This fee could balloon even further to an eye-watering £1.2 billion (€1.5 billion) by the end of the year, it is also warned.
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President of the Tourism Board, Juan Molas, warns that if the government continues in failing to make payments, the connectivity of the Canary and Balearic Islands “will be seriously compromised” because “there will be a substantial cut” in the number of flights available.
The president of the Tourism Board, Juan Molas, has indicated that if the government continues to fail to make payments, the connectivity of the Canary and Balearic Islands "will be seriously compromised".
This is because "there will be a substantial cut" in the number of air seats available, which will have a "very damaging" impact on tourism. The government assured last week that it only has pending the payment of 300 million to the airlines for administrative issues related to the 75% discount for island residents during 2024 and not the 810 million that the Airlines Association (ALA) has quantified and announced.
Sources at the Ministry of Transport emphasised to Europa Press that this is an ‘administrative and one-off’ issue and that the discounts for residents are ‘guaranteed’.
They assured that as the process of finalising the certifications advances and all the administrative procedures are completed, the amounts will be paid