Surprise over Palma: Saudi aerobatic team draws colorful trails

Surprise over Palma: Saudi aerobatic team draws colorful trails

White, green and red aircraft surprise passers-by — brief display over Son Sant Joan

Those who looked to the sky early on Wednesday afternoon witnessed a rare spectacle: several jets of the formation, internationally known as "Saudi Hawks", cut across the island in white, green and red. The aircraft, modern BAE Hawk Mk.165s, were clearly visible from the ground — not only over the city centre, but also along the coast and at Son Sant Joan airport. Read more about the airport's recent history in When Palma Briefly Held Its Breath: 75 Years of Son Sant Joan and the 90 Minutes That Stopped Flying.

People on the Plaça del Born paused with coffees in their hands. A jogger stopped on the Paseo Marítimo, and a fisherman in Portixol waved as the planes flew low over the sea. The roar of the turbines briefly drowned out the sound of the waves; for a few minutes Palma became a stage for aerial acrobatics.

Spanish air traffic controllers published short videos on the platform X showing the jets on approach and taxiing on the runways. Available information indicates that the team had previously performed in Marrakech and has once again made a stopover in Mallorca. How long the pilots will stay and whether there will be further displays is unclear — there have been no official announcements so far; similar temporary disruptions have occurred before, as reported in Two-hour shutdown at Son Sant Joan: Military show causes a stir.

For everyday life on the island, such a performance has simple, pleasant effects: people come together, conversations start in cafés and at bus stops, children point to the sky. In a city where streetlights come on earlier in autumn and the boats in Palma rock more noticeably, such a splash of colour in the sky brings an unexpected, slightly whimsical joy.

It was confirmed in multiple places that the aircraft are specifically BAE Hawk Mk.165 and that the paint scheme reflects the colours of the Saudi national flag. The pilots belong to their country's official aerobatic team; internationally the formation has carried out several appearances in recent weeks. A visit to Marrakech with military interlocutors was part of the travel plan, comparable to public demonstrations such as Engine Roars and Family Laughter: Open Day at Son San Juan.

Why Mallorca? Practical reasons are likely: Son Sant Joan is a large, well-equipped airport with suitable runways, and the island is conveniently located for stopovers between North Africa and Southern Europe. For local people it is simply a good reason to look up and briefly experience something different from daily commuter trains or the cars on the Via Cintura.

A small piece of advice for anyone interested in such displays: if you see unusual flight movements again, follow official channels of the airport or aviation authorities on X and the Son Sant Joan websites, and consult coverage such as Drone over Son Sant Joan: Investigations, Gaps and the Question of Effective Prevention to avoid speculation and get reliable information on times and possible traffic impacts.

Finally, a look ahead: such spontaneous appearances show how varied the airspace around Mallorca is used — from airliners to aerobatic formations. For local actors this means opportunities: people look up, visitors stop, the city gains small shared memories. Maybe take a pause from everyday life more often, sit on a terrace and watch — sometimes a short walk in the sky is enough to clear the day.

Conclusion: An unusual, colourful moment over Palma that for an instant connected daily life and tourism. Those who look to the sky in the coming days might be lucky enough to see the formation again — or at least smile at the memories.