When Palma Briefly Held Its Breath: 75 Years of Son Sant Joan and the 90 Minutes That Stopped Flying

Closed skies, a city in motion: The 90 minutes at the airport

This morning Palma sounded different: no constant roaring over the Passeig Marítim, instead the deep rumble of individual military aircraft and then – for around 90 minutes – noticeable silence. Between 11:30 and 13:00 civilian flight operations at Son Sant Joan airport were paused. The reason was not an emergency but the base's 75th birthday celebration with flight demonstrations and an open day.

Family program on the apron, confusion on the roads

On the grounds there was a festive atmosphere: children with radio headsets, old propeller planes, a military ensemble and information booths. On the Plaça Major there was the smell of freshly brewed coffee; passers-by put on windbreakers and grabbed their cameras, Mallorca's November sun peeking through the cool air. For many visitors, however, the day began with stress: parking at the airport was scarce, roads around Son Sant Joan clogged, and taxis queued longer in the arrivals lane than usual.

Air passengers felt the consequences

For holidaymakers and commuters the closure meant diverted departures, postponed landings and tense waiting at the gate. Some passengers missed connections; others sat back and watched the airshow from a distance. Despite prior announcements in official channels, everyday experience shows: not every message reaches all target groups – or it reaches them too late.

The key question: Was this necessary and was it adequately communicated?

Celebrating is legitimate. The question is how much civilian operations may be disrupted as a result. Was the measure proportionate? Had the priority of connecting passengers been adequately considered? And were there clear rules for medical emergencies or for freight flights with tight time windows? Such details often go unexamined in the public debate.

What is easily overlooked in the bustle

First, the timing: airshows are spectacular but occupy a long period during which civilian traffic can be disrupted. Second, the infrastructure around the airport: when parking is missing, congestion shifts into residential areas and onto main roads. Third, communication: not everyone follows official notices – many commuters only learn of changes once they are already on their way.

Concrete proposals for future anniversaries

Some pragmatic ideas that could ease the balancing act between celebration and everyday life:

1. Early, visible information: Display boards at train stations, announcements on bus lines and prominent notices on airport pages reduce surprises.

2. Shuttle and parking concepts: Temporary parking areas outside the airport with shuttle connections reduce traffic in the neighborhood.

3. Temporal decoupling: Flight demonstrations held outside peak arrival and departure times for major scheduled flights would interfere less with travel plans.

4. On-site help point: A clearly signposted help desk for connecting passengers with information on rebooking, transfers and emergencies.

5. Live stream: For the curious, a well-produced live stream could substitute parts of the event and so spread visitor flows.

Balance between show and service

The 75th anniversary offered a behind-the-scenes look and may have given young people their first contact with aviation. At the same time the morning showed how sensitive Mallorca's transport network is to punctual disruptions. A bit more planning, coordinated alternatives and a stronger focus on connecting passengers would improve the balance between celebration and everyday nerves.

A local concluding thought

In the end there remains the memory of unusual silence over the sea — and of the smell of cortado in the old town while taxi columns pushed around the corners. Mallorca's everyday life is sometimes loud; today it was briefly different. Well planned, such an anniversary could in the future both satisfy curiosity and let the island continue to fly on calmly.