Fog grounds aircraft around the Balearics

PALMA
TRAVELLERS to and from the Islands were taken by surprise yesterday by the thick fog which hung low over the land from around 6am until late afternoon with the region's three major airports only operating again normally by early evening.

Poor visibility in Palma had forced the cancellation of 16 flights and caused delays to a further 70. Most of these flights were on inter-island routes operated by Air Nostrum. Ibiza and Mahón had to cancel connections with Palma. Inbound flights also had to wait in line with 20 arriving late with delays that averaged around 34 minutes each. Flights to the Peninsula were also affected with many delays lasting up to between an hour and an hour-and-a-half, although no cancellations were recorded. The destinations of Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona were those which were chiefly affected. Sant Joan airport in Palma reported that the main airline companies which experienced delays were Air Europa, Air Berlin and Spanair.

A representative of the Spanish Airports Authority, AENA, confirmed that with the lifting of the fog, airline services were resuming normality. He also said that with regard to Air Nostrum flights between Palma and other airports in the Balearics, it could be assumed that the usual timetable was being adhered to, so those that could not embark earlier were then able to transfer to other flights.