Palma de Mallorca Airport will operate beyond its declared capacity for 18 days in August, according to Eurocontrol forecasts, with excess demand lasting more than two consecutive hours on 10 occasions. The airport is the only Spanish facility on a new official list identifying mismatches between predicted demand and available capacity during August and September.
Eurocontrol list and capacity details
The list also includes Greek airports Athens, Corfu, Heraklion, Kos, and Chania, alongside Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen and London's Gatwick. Eurocontrol, the central organisation for coordination and planning of air traffic control in Europe, projects that Palma will surpass its operational capacity on 18 days, more than half the month.
On 10 of those days, excess demand will stretch beyond two consecutive hours, while on the remaining eight, it will be concentrated within two-hour windows. The capacity for Palma is set at roughly 74 movements per hour, comprising approximately 33 arrivals and 40 departures. During particular time slots, anticipated flight demand will outstrip the number of operations the system can accommodate.
Aena responds to capacity concerns
Eurocontrol says the forecasts do not mean airports will be overwhelmed, but the analysis aims to identify periods when high concentrations of flights may require measures to regulate traffic flow. Spanish media reports that the European agency projects demand will also surpass capacity at least eight times between September 1 and 27, with three instances stretching beyond two consecutive hours and five lasting two hours.
Airport operator Aena has told Spanish media that under no circumstances has Palma Airport been operated beyond its declared capacity. They say that if demand ever exceeds established airspace capacity due to an unforeseen event, such as storms or regulatory measures, not all operations are permitted to take place simultaneously, and air traffic control regulates the flow of flights through various traffic management and sequencing measures.
Airport improvements and broader travel delays
Sources at the airport have told Spanish media that a major overhaul has resulted in a larger security checkpoint featuring hand luggage screening machines that do away with the need to remove liquids and electronic devices, as well as more efficient routes throughout all areas, including the one dedicated to inter-island passengers.
Eurocontrol said in its assessment of Europe-wide air traffic: "July 2026 set new records for air traffic. The EUROCONTROL area recorded its highest ever monthly traffic, with over 1.13 million flights and a peak of 37,659 flights on Friday 24 July. Worldwide, commercial aviation also reached an all-time high of 153,359 flights on 23 July."
The update comes as tourists heading to Spain and other EU nations face the prospect of lengthy queues at airports. The EU rolled out its Entry/Exit System (EES) in April, requiring passengers from the UK and other non-EU countries to register fingerprints, photograph and personal details upon first arrival, leading to hold-ups. The Financial Times reported this month that peak waiting times at Munich and Frankfurt airports have doubled this summer compared with last year following the EES rollout. Mallorca is among the many airports where significant delays have been reported.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said the system should be moved online. "Only the Europeans would invent s*** like this," he told investors last month, adding that the airline had witnessed substantial queues at around 15 airports.
The scorching temperatures are also heaping further pressure on the airport, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. The publication reported that Palma Airport workers are once again demanding the immediate reopening of the airport canteen, saying the facility is essential as somewhere they can eat and take refuge from the summer heat. The Balearic Government has urged Aena to reopen the venue as swiftly as possible, with reports suggesting officials believe Aena is working to adapt the premises with the aim of getting the canteen back up and running in the near future.
