Scottish second home owners and holidaymakers were outraged when they read about winter flights being grounded in the Bulletin yesterday. Long-term property owner and regular visitor Ian Rice said that he and many of his friends are "very disappointed".
"I thought after all the campaigning the Bulletin and the Scottish community did the year before last, we had finally solved the problem of a lack of direct winter flights. Obviously not. I can get to Florida or Dubai quicker than Majorca.
"Just why Ryanair have cancelled the winter service I don’t know. This winter I’ve used their service at least five times and on each occasion the flights have been full. Coupled with the lack of no direct flights from Manchester and Newcastle this coming winter, all we can hope for is that either another airline takes the slot from Edinburgh or there is a service out of Birmingham. If not, we’ll have to fly out of Stansted or other London airports.
"To be honest, faced with that option, people will not bother, and I can say that a good 40 per cent of the passengers on the flights were Majorcan residents heading to Scotland for a holiday, so it cuts both ways," he said.
When Rice returns to Scotland he intends to raise the issue again with the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Jobs, Keith Brown, who was the former Scottish Transport Secretary and is well aware of the problem. But while pressure will be put on the Scottish authorities, Rice said he believes that the Balearic government should get involved because it is going to cost them revenue and visitors.
"Airlines are the lifeblood of Majorca and here they should be doing everything possible to attract and secure regular services from key destinations such as Scotland. I don’t know if Ryanair are playing politics and are after cheaper operating fees in Palma, but Ryanair appear to be cherry picking their routes. As the largest carrier in Spain, they can dictate the market."
What the Scots would like to see is the Spanish airports authority (Aena) and the Balearic government raise the issue with Ryanair and to again perhaps consider setting up a Balearic airline, similar to the model in Malta, which would give them a free hand to operate flights.
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Don't stop winter flights
At least you can get a direct flight to the landmass and get a train/bus/car to you location. Ireland has no direct flights for the winter months and are charged between 3 and 400 for the apparent pleasure of traveling through another country. By having no direct flights cuts of a sizable chunk of the market and causes great inconvenience to the Irish who are based here
I am Scottish and lived here 33 years the Scottish support all these airlines in the summer so they should consider the people in the winter.Ryanair only have their selfs to blame as they sold the tickets to cheap.As much as we would like cheap flights me as a business lady didn't understand how they could make a profit with the prices they were charging.Surly they should look at the way they handled their prices and try and get it right not just throw in the towel.
Can't understand why Joe is griping about the Scots. We're only asking for flights and we're willing to pay. The past season's flights were well used. If the fare was too low, it was Ryanair who set the level. As to Mallorca's tourist industry, there are opposing voices on summer tourism. But winter flights were primarily about Palma becoming an all year round city break destination. Have they given up on this?
In yhe UK I am based in the north east...and have no problems in winter on regular trips to Palma....using Manchester( which I thought was stillavailable nxt winter) east midlands or Liverpool......but I must admit recently I am fed up with Scottish people wanting everything for next to nothing....or special treatment...you choose where you live.....so dont moan
Why does everyone imply its UK airlines that are responsible for resolving this perceived problem. If Mallorca really wants Winter visitors from Scotland and they think its viable then reverse the roles and get the Spanish airlines to do the job.
As easyJet have bases in Scotland, would it be worthwhile to say put an A 319 smaller aircraft to Palma in the winter, as they also fly from Liverpool and Bristol 2 or 3 weekly winter flights. They already fly from both Edinburgh and Glasgow in the summer. I fly throughout the year from Gatwick with a good service, but I still have a 110 mile each way journey to the airport from the south coast, and always fly easyJet.
Are you sure about Ryanair cancelling Manchester to Mallorca? From what I can see I can still book on flights on Thursdays and Saturdays right through from Oct to March, which isn't great for weekends away but it is something. When I try to book Edinburgh flights there are definitely none available. Monarch are not available to book after Oct, which has enabled Ryanair to increase its prices, although we all love cheap flights this may make the winter route more profitable and therefore sustainable.
A good comment from Sara, below. I totally agree with. But nothing has been done , or will be done in Mallorca. Especially for Winter Tourism. The rich majority, enjoy 6 months rest and recuperation. I have witnessed the Mallorcaean apathy in Winter, on this Island, for 37 years !!. I truly do not expect any future change in the next 37 years.
Sadly Mallorca turns up and wastes the money on Travel Fairs to promote Tourism. If I was in charge I would be talking to all airlines that fly in regular during the summer and offering them incentives to advertise the beauties of Mallorca in their Company advertising budget in their local press and media advertising. - I would be working 1 year ahead, as that is how companies work. They will already be planning there 2018 schedules.I live in London and see advertising continually for e.g. Croatia, visiting Italy etc but the only advertising I have ever seen in the UK, are holiday airlines promoting Mallorca on English TV channels - which Mallorca is not paying for. I would give money to these companies to do more TV advertising. Mallorca did it once themselves, a great advert showing the beauty, with Nadal speaking (but they dubbed his voice !!!) and the company selling the advert bought non prime TV slots, (I saw the advert on GOLD) so the investment was a total waste.Landing fees should be free - I realise AENA charges them to the island but Mallorca could reimburse the airlines for these etc.Many ways, however, sadly it will not happen as Government Officials are not trained to think "entrepreneurially" and "out of the box". It is 2017 and sadly Mallorca still operates it Tourism model to how it began in the 70's. Times have changed and they must adapt also.Mallorca could be booming in the winter in my opinion, however, sadly it will never will.Do not forget the "Strikes' and the blocking of changes eg. the buses planned for transporting visitors to the North etc. Also, the complaints about to much tourism - instead of educating all tourists and residents about e.g..Water Management - not leaving the tap running whilst cleaning our teeth - the British are dreadful for wasting water. Large hoardings could be at the airport when you arrive, as the water shortage will happen again and their will be complaints etc.