Debate on public service flights in Balearics continues

THE first meeting of the team which is studying the best way to have Balearic flights declared a public service concentrated on analysing the information which the Balearic government, the island councils and the central ministry of public works share, according to the Balearic ministry of public works, transport and housing. A ministry spokesman said yesterday that the meeting debated the bases of the final proposal and a second meeting has been called for April 7.
The meeting was attended by the director general of civil aviation Ignacio Estaún, the Balearic public works minister Francesc Quetglas, president of the Council of Minorca Joana Barceló, the head of the Council of Ibiza and Formentera's transport department, and the secretary general of finance Lluis Llinás. The team was set up at a meeting between Quetglas, the Balearic finance minister Joan Mesquida and the under secretary of the central public works ministry Adolfo Menéndez on March 13. The Balearic government presented the ministry with a proposal for the declaration of public services last January, together with a request to increase the discount for residents to 50 per cent. Its proposals included the following guaranteed frequencies:
Five return flights a day between Palma and Mahon (Minorca) and Palma and Ibiza; two would be in the morning, including one at 8am, one at noon, between 2 and 3pm, and two in the afternoon, one of them after 8.30pm. There would also be two return flights a day between Mahon and Ibiza, with a stop in Palma, with an interval of not less than two hours between the morning and afternoon flights. The maximum fare, without taxes, would be 58 euros for Palma-Mahon, 61 euros for Palma-Ibiza and 0.85 euros per kilometre for Mahon-Ibiza.
The discount would be raised to 50 per cent for all fares.
Flights to the Peninsula would also be guaranteed winter and summer as follows:
A minimum number of seats corresponding to 133 per cent of the average demand over the past two years between Mahon and Barcelona, Mahon-Madrid, Ibiza-Madrid, Ibiza-Valencia and Ibiza-Barcelona.