Anxieties in Sa Casa Blanca: Planned Ammunition Depot at Palma Airport Sparks Unrest

Neighborhood in Turmoil

In Sa Casa Blanca, very close to the runway of Son Sant Joan, people have been talking loudly for days. Not about the weather. But about something that hardly anyone living nearby would want to imagine: a depot for rockets and bombs, planned on the grounds of the adjacent air force base.

Last night, shortly after 8 p.m., neighbors were still at the Can Toni counter exchanging messages. "We read this in the newspaper, not from the authorities," says Carmen, 64, who has lived in the settlement for decades. "Who informs us if something happens here?"

Concern instead of Information

Officially the project has already been awarded. A working group of the firms MAB, Coexa and Grupo Render Industrial is to build the depot. The budget is around 1.8 million euros; the facility should be completed, if all goes smoothly, within nine months — so probably next summer.

But numbers do not reassure anyone here. "That is troubling," says a young father who is taking his son to school. "Bombs near the neighborhood? That wakes me up." Others speak of resignation: At a military facility, residents’ room for maneuver is limited. Still, many at least demand transparent information and emergency plans.

Association Calls for Dialogue

The umbrella association of neighborhood associations has already voiced criticism. Its president Maribel Alcázar calls the plans "not in line with the island's way of life": "A munitions depot next to inhabited areas is unacceptable. We need public meetings and a risk assessment that people can understand."

In bars and at bus stops rumors circulate about past incidents on the island; some speak of old accidents, others recall loud air force drills at night. All of this increases nervousness — even though the Ministry of Defense allegedly prescribes strict safety standards.

What Next?

So far there has been no public information session in Sa Casa Blanca. The residents' demand is simple: explain, listen, participate. Many want to know which safety zones are planned, what emission limits look like, and which emergency drills are planned.

Whether the authorities will respond to these requests remains open. One thing is clear: those living directly under the flight paths today have little appetite for surprises. And as long as answers are missing, the conversation at the bar in Sa Casa Blanca remains lively — and the concern palpable.