Who is building a weapons depot at the airport — and who knows about it?

Who is building a weapons depot at the airport — and who knows about it?

Key question: How can a construction contract for a munitions depot be awarded while Madrid claims ignorance of the project?

The planned depot is located on the grounds of the Son Sant Joan airbase, only a few hundred metres from residential houses and less than one kilometre from the Sa Casa Blanca neighbourhood. The contract, valued at around €1.8 million, was directly awarded; a consortium made up of MAB, Grupo Render Industrial and Coexa is supposed to complete the construction within about nine months. The plan is for a storage facility for rockets, shells and guided weapons, with a maximum capacity of 75 tonnes, although the full capacity is not intended to be used. Observations indicate that initial activity on the site took place in late November; commissioning could be possible as early as next summer. The situation is detailed in Weapons Depot at the Airport: How Safe Is Mallorca Really?, and the planned depot has thrown parts of Sa Casa Blanca into turmoil as reported in A munitions depot on the doorstep: Sa Casa Blanca demands answers.

At government level, statements and facts currently diverge: from Madrid comes the claim that the defence minister is not aware of the project and cannot provide information. At the same time, at the beginning of December the Council of Ministers assigned the Son Sant Joan area by decision to the "national defence interest," which places future planning under the approval of the Ministry of Defense. This raises legitimate questions on the island — and causes unease in the affected neighbourhoods, as outlined in Ammunition Depot at Son Sant Joan: Prohens Demands Clarification — Growing Concern in Palma.

Critical analysis: Three points stand out. First, the reliability of procedures. A tendered and apparently awarded contract sits uneasily with the depiction that the project is unknown. Second, the proximity to residential areas. Safety distances, emergency plans and risk assessments are so far absent from the public debate. Third, the exceptional nature of the direct award: why was the process not more transparent, given that it concerns sensitive military infrastructure?

What is missing from the public discourse: technical safety assessments, concrete information on the types and quantities of munitions stored during normal operations, details about the bunker construction (e.g. protection against explosions), evacuation and emergency plans for residents, environmental checks (contaminants, groundwater), and comprehensible reasons for the direct awarding of the contract. It is also unclear which oversight bodies — parliamentary or civilian — are permitted to accompany implementation, a point raised in Munitions Bunker Near Son Sant Joan: Why Mallorca's Citizens Should Have a Say.

An everyday scene from Palma: on Plaça d'Espanya early in the morning you hear the buses to the airport, a baker opens his door, a delivery van drives along the Avinguda de Gabriel Roca. People wait for the tram, talk about prices, about the noise. That same conversation has taken a new turn: "Can that be safe, so close to the neighbourhood?" asks a woman with a shopping bag. This is not alarmism, it is neighbourhood fear — and it can only be dispelled with answers.

Concrete approaches: First, immediate publication of all available technical documents and reports by the Ministry of Defense or the base command. Second, an independent review by an expert group (civilian and military) to assess safety distances, building materials and blast protection. Third, a clear, publicly accessible crisis and evacuation plan for adjacent districts including scheduled drills. Fourth, a transparent audit report on the procurement practice explaining why direct contracting was chosen. Fifth, a time-limited moratorium until the review reports are published, if authorities deem it responsible, to build trust.

Practical steps on the ground: the mayor's office, the island council and the city of Palma should demand immediate information sessions for residents; the base leadership must answer technical questions publicly or at least provide accessible documents. The Balearic government should push for parliamentary oversight mechanisms and, if necessary, involve the ombudsman's office and civil protection.

Pointed conclusion: secrecy on one hand, construction activity on the other — that is a poor starting point for a project planned so close to residential areas. Those who want to create safety must work transparently. Factual answers, independent reviews and a clear emergency plan would achieve more than reassurances. The island needs clarity, not rumours; and the people here have a right to know whether and how their street will remain safe.

What matters now: concrete information instead of vague references, independent evaluations instead of assurances, and a tangible timeline so that everyday life can return from uncertainty.