Complaint from Palma: Marga Prohens Demands Clarification about Ammunition Depot at Son Sant Joan Airport

Discontent in Palma: No prior dialogue on a sensitive military project

On Sunday morning, under the typical mild October light over Son Sant Joan, the lively city talk suddenly became a real political issue. Marga Prohens, president of the Balearic government, has sent a letter to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez — a clearer form of complaint than is often seen here.

In the letter she demands one thing above all: clear, reliable information. Not from newspaper reports, not through rumors at the port. But directly from the Ministry of Defense. The mood at Palma's town hall, as one hears, is tense. People feel sidelined.

What is it about exactly?

The plan is, according to this, a depot at the Son Sant Joan air base that would store large quantities of bombs and missiles. The planned investment amount is around 1.8 million euros, and the depot is expected to have a capacity of about 75,000 kilograms. Parts of the facility would be partially underground, with a thick concrete layer and an earth cover, so that the surrounding area is not visibly altered. Apparently plans include storing modern rocket and bomb types, including systems that can be used for drones.

Why is this causing such a stir here? Because Son Sant Joan has long been more than an airfield: units such as Ala 49, the 801st Wing, and the Coordination Center for Air Rescue (RCC Palma) are based here. Rescue aircraft and helicopters operate daily from here. Therefore politicians on the island want to know what safety precautions exist for the neighborhood — and what emergency plans look like.

Prohens stresses understanding of the security needs of the armed forces. At the same time she criticizes that neither the Balearic government, the island council nor the city of Palma were informed beforehand. That is a state matter, but also a local issue, she said, more or less. What remains is the demand for involvement of local authorities and clear information about risks and safeguards.

What do residents and experts say?

On the streets around the airport people talk of worry and confusion. A cafeteria vendor nearby describes it this way: 'We have seen rescue aircraft here, and now large quantities of ammunition are to be stored next door? That scares me.' At the same time there are voices pointing out that military infrastructure is often located at strategic points for security reasons and is not always publicly discussed.

It remains unclear how Madrid will respond. The relationship between the regional government and the central government is currently not exactly harmonious; on topics such as rent caps, allocation of underage migrants, or historical reckonings, different positions often clash. Whether Prohens' letter moves the matter forward? That remains to be seen.

For the people here, this means for now mainly one thing: questions. About protection, about transparency, and about who will be informed when plans change. And yes — in Palma people discuss such matters loudly, along the Passeig, at the Plaza and in small, smoky cafés. A little worry, a little politics, and the feeling that people do not want to read about it only in the newspaper.

Update: As soon as reliable details come from Madrid or the Ministry of Defense, we will report further. Until then Son Sant Joan remains a place with high attention.