For the last few years, residents of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera have been fighting against overtourism, leading to several mass protests. Now, a radical new plan has been put forward.
Residents of the Spanish Mediterranean islands have been increasingly complaining about overcrowding, traffic congestion, rising living costs, and the lack of accommodation, all of it brought on by being one of the most sought-after places in Europe for tourists and homeowners.
There have already been measures introduced to attempt to fix the negative effects of overtourism, ranging from limits on tourist accommodation, to tourist taxes and restrictions on vehicles from outside of the archipelago.
Unfortunately, the same problems are persisting in the Balearics, which has led to a new plan being proposed: limit the number of flights to the islands.
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In late April, the Balearic Parliament approved its airport co-management law, which will introduce significant changes to strengthen the region’s ability to influence airport management and planning.
The idea was originally put forward by Més per Mallorca and Més Menorca in 2025, although not initially approved until now with the support of the conservative PP. The Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands and PSOE abstained from the vote.
The airport network in the Balearics, like much of Spain, is currently managed by Aena. While the regional government doesn’t want to take over from Aena, it does want a co-management relationship, where it is able to set fares, frequencies and operational capacity. This could mean fewer flights and therefore, fewer tourists.
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Aena already has coordination committees comprised of representatives from different state government bodies, but these are just advisory, rather than people they are obliged to listen to.
Balearic authorities want to change this so that reports are binding, not just advisory, particularly when it comes to matters such as airport strategy, plans, and the Airport Regulation Document.
As well as representatives from the national government and Aena, the Balearics want the committee to include members of the Balearic government, the four island councils, municipalities such as Palma, Maó, and Sant Josep, as well as representatives from chambers of commerce, employers’ associations, and unions.
The text specifically points to the need to study potential limitations during peak travel seasons to avoid overcrowding, in line with the growing debate about tourism pressure on the islands.
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“In recent years, a clear disconnect has emerged between tourism policy and airport policy, resulting in a progressive increase in the number of flights and arrivals to the Balearic Islands, in a context of containment of the number of tourist accommodation places,” the proposal from Més states.
For example, Ryanair recently announced that it would be increasing the number of flights to the islands this summer, taking the total in Mallorca to 715 weekly flights in July and August.
The government proposal suggests that one of the main objectives should be to set a “ceiling” on flights, passengers and goods.
They also point out that Balearic airports have gone from handling 31.9 million passengers in 2014 to 47.4 million in 2024. This is a 48 percent increase in ten years.
In 2025, Palma de Mallorca Airport saw just over 33.8 million passengers. Ibiza Airport saw 9.1 million, and Menorca Airport 4.2 million.
Just because the move has been approved by the Balearic Parliament, it doesn’t mean it will automatically come into force.
The draft law must now be passed on to the national Congress of Deputies, where it must be voted upon again to gain definitive approval.
