Palma de Mallorca Airport · 1916–2032 | ChronotopiaPalma de Mallorca Airport: from a military field among almond trees to almost 34 million passengers. Explore in 3D how it grew from 1916 to 2032, year by year: runways, terminals, aircraft and planned works.2026 · The remodelled airportModule D reopens in late March 2026 with its new roof, a separate entrance for the inter-island module opens on 14 August, and the remodel (about €560 M) is due to end at the close of the year or in February 2027. The government approves moving the air traffic control centre to Son Bonet: the octagonal building in the middle of the airport will be freed, but the tower stays. In July the Ministry announces the new name, "Aeropuerto de Palma - Mallorca".Stages

1916 · Hedilla at Son Sunyer: In July 1916 Salvador Hedilla flies from Barcelona in about two hours and lands on the Son Sunyer estate, where the airport is today: the first flight from the mainland to Mallorca. Sources: Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan, Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

1936 · The Italian bomber base: The Son Sant Joan field, used by a pilot school in 1934 and by LAPE’s Palma-Valencia-Madrid line from 1935, is enlarged from September 1936 for Mussolini’s Aviazione Legionaria. Sources: Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan, El Nacional: Mallorca, base de la aviación de Mussolini

1950 · Son San Juan Air Base: After 1939 the Spanish Air Force keeps the field, first with I-16 and Fiat CR.32 fighters and then with the He 111s of Mixed Air Regiment 3. Sources: Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan, IDEIB: ortofotos históricas de las Illes Balears

1954 · The Sabre runway: In 1954 the runway is lengthened and paved for the F-86 Sabre fighters of the 1953 pact with the United States; the Palma-Llucmajor road has to be diverted, and an apron and a parallel taxiway are built. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan, IDEIB: ortofotos históricas de las Illes Balears

1960 · The civil airport is born: The 1958 National Airports Plan chooses Son Sant Joan, as Son Bonet cannot grow. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan, Preferente: Son Sant Joan, aeropuerto

1962 · More runway, more services: From summer 1961 the runway is lengthened and a parallel taxiway built. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan

1966 · Terminal A: The 1964-67 Airports Plan gives Palma almost 500 million pesetas: more runway, an apron for 28 medium aircraft and a terminal for five million passengers. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director de Palma, memoria, cap. 3

1971 · The first Jumbo: At 13:15 on 1 May 1971 a Condor Boeing 747 lands on Son Sant Joan’s single runway with 370 people on board: the world’s first 747 on charter flights. Sources: Última Hora: medio siglo de la llegada del Jumbo (2021), Wikipedia: Autopista Ma-19, Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

1972 · The charter Terminal B: For the charter boom a modular terminal for non-scheduled traffic is built from early 1971, with its own apron in front. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director de Palma, memoria, cap. 3, Hosteltur: Aena invierte 300 millones en el aeropuerto de Palma (2008)

1974 · Two runways: The second runway, parallel to the first and 1,500 m from it, is finished in 1974, strengthened for aircraft of up to 450 tonnes. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana: aeroport de Son Sant Joan

1987 · The octagonal tower: A new tower rises at the geometric centre of the airport, equidistant from both runways: a 52 m concrete shaft in the courtyard of an octagonal building that also houses the Balearic area control centre. Sources: Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director de Palma, memoria, cap. 3, Preferente: Son Sant Joan, aeropuerto

1988 · The Spantax Coronado: Spantax, the Palma charter airline that brought millions of tourists, stops flying on 29 March 1988. Sources: Wikipedia: Spantax, Hosteltur: el último vuelo del Convair Coronado de Spantax (2017), Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

1993 · The big works: In mid-1993 work starts on the new airport complex, with more than 40,000 million pesetas over three years for the apron, utilities and the new terminal. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Última Hora: relato negro del DC-3 de 1993 (2026)

1997 · Pere Nicolau’s terminal: On 12 April 1997 minister Arias-Salgado opens the terminal building by the Mallorcan architect Pere Nicolau: arrivals on the ground floor, check-in above and departures and shops on the top floor, under a long white canopy. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director de Palma, memoria, cap. 3, Preferente: Son Sant Joan, aeropuerto

2000 · The Master Plan airport: This is the airport of the 2000 AIP chart and the 2001 Master Plan: two runways and a contingency runway, 06C-24C, painted on the north taxiway 200 m from the north runway; Terminals A and B, the new building and Module D; the octagonal tower and the Iberia and Selima hangars. 19.4 million passengers pass through. Sources: BOE: Plan Director del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca (2001), Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director de Palma, memoria, cap. 3

2003 · The inter-island module: In April 2003 a new boarding building for inter-island and regional flights opens, with two large roofs joined by a skylight and a bridge from the check-in hall: today’s Module B. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

2006 · Farewell to the central runway: With a parallel taxiway now serving the south runway, the contingency runway 06C-24C is no longer needed: it closes on 11 May 2006 and its markings are removed from the north taxiway in 2008. Sources: BOE: cierre de la pista 06C-24C (2006), BOE: declaración de impacto ambiental de la ampliación (2004), Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

2009 · Terminal B comes down: Aena pulls down the 1972 Terminal B (26,410 m²), its car park, the Aena II block and the old power plant to make an apron of about 38,000 m². Sources: Hosteltur: Aena invierte 300 millones en el aeropuerto de Palma (2008), Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana: aeroport de Son Sant Joan, Wikipedia: Base Aérea de Son San Juan

2010 · The new Module C: In May 2010 the enlarged Module C reopens, with a new south pier, 33 gates instead of 20 and a new central apron. Sources: Wikipedia: Palma de Mallorca Airport, Hosteltur: Aena invierte 300 millones en el aeropuerto de Palma (2008), airliners.de: Aufstieg und Fall des Air-Berlin-Drehkreuzes Mallorca

2016 · Renewed runways and aprons: In autumn 2016 the south runway is resurfaced, finished on 24 November, within a plan of about €100 M with new aprons and drainage (2014-2017). Sources: Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Conelsan: modernización del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca

2020 · The empty year: The pandemic empties the aprons: 6.1 million passengers, a fifth of the 29.7 million of 2019. Sources: Wikipedia: Palma de Mallorca Airport, Infoconstrucción: renovación del pavimento y drenaje de la pista (2021)

2023 · The big remodel begins: After the 2021 environmental approval and a €200 M contract awarded on 11 May 2022, Acciona starts the biggest terminal remodel since 1997 on 8 February 2023, mostly at night: wings on both sides of Module A, a larger central building, three jet bridges at Module D and a 40,000 m² remote apron, all within the existing perimeter. Sources: BOE: evaluación ambiental de la remodelación del edificio terminal (2021), Última Hora: Acciona inicia las obras de remodelación (2023)

2025 · New bridges and a record: In summer 2025 the west wing of Module A opens with three new jet bridges, and a new connector at Module D adds three more. Sources: Última Hora: Son Sant Joan estrena nuevas zonas comerciales (2025), Majorca Daily Bulletin: 33.8 million passengers last year (2026)

2026 · The remodelled airport: Module D reopens in late March 2026 with its new roof, a separate entrance for the inter-island module opens on 14 August, and the remodel (about €560 M) is due to end at the close of the year or in February 2027. Sources: Última Hora: el aeropuerto reabre el módulo D (2026), Fibwi Diario: autorizado el nuevo centro de control aéreo de Baleares (2026), Preferente: el aeropuerto de Palma pone fecha al final de su remodelación (2026)

2031 · Towards 2031: DORA III, approved on 15 September 2026, gives Palma €621.6 M for 2027-2031: aprons, runway and taxiway pavements, jet bridges, a new fire station and car parks, for about 35.7 million passengers in 2031 with no third runway. Sources: Última Hora: el DORA III prevé dos millones más de pasajeros hasta 2031 (2026), Última Hora: luz verde al tren de Llucmajor (2026)

2032 · The train reaches the airport: If the schedule holds, the Palma-Airport-Llucmajor line opens in 2032: 30 km, about 10 of them in tunnel, for €811 M. Sources: Última Hora: luz verde al tren de Llucmajor (2026), Última Hora: doce barrios de Palma se preparan para el tren hacia Llucmajor (2026)

SourcesOpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), IGN, MDT25 digital terrain model (CC BY 4.0), IDEIB, Govern de les Illes Balears: ortofotos 1956-2024 (CC BY-SA), IGN / CNIG: PNOA histórico 1997-98 y SIGPAC (CC BY 4.0 scne.es), ENAIRE: AIP España, LEPA/LESJ AD 2, Aena: historia del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca, Ministerio de Transportes: Plan Director del aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca (2001), BOE: Plan Director 2001, DIA 2004, cierre de la 06C-24C 2006, evaluación ambiental 2021, Wikipedia: Aeropuerto de Palma de Mallorca y Base Aérea de Son San Juan, Amics de Son Sant Joan (archivo, 2021), Prensa: Última Hora, Diario de Mallorca, Preferente, Hosteltur, Majorca Daily Bulletin, Wikidata Q656993 / Aena: estadísticas de tráficoChronotopia needs JavaScript and WebGL.

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