Duty-free zones at Palma Airport

THIS week, Consubal, the consumers’ association of the Balearic Islands, will present a request to Palma airport’s management to change the way in which passengers pass through the duty-free area in departures.

Alfonso Rodríguez, spokesman for Consubal, said that the airport has turned into a huge shop, where travellers are immediately confronted with displays for alcohol and tobacco. He demands a different arrangement so that passengers can decide for themselves whether they would like to enter the duty-free area or not.

In a statement, Rodríguez stated that the current position of duty-free doesn’t take into account the children who are exposed to these displays. “It’s obviously for commercial reasons. These are the products with the highest sales and which generate the most profit”.

Consubal also asks that Aena invests €600 million over the next four years into the new facilities at the airport.Some of this investment would go on improving passengers’ conveniences and comforts, where the association believe that now is the time to re-think the duty-free arrangement.

Out of the three airports in the Balearic Islands, Palma is the only one where passengers have to enter a duty-free zone.In Ibiza there is a separate walkway, whereas in Menorca an arrangement like Palma’s only operates at high season.

Over the past few years, the regional government’s directorates for consumer affairs and public health have beenin contact with Aena, asking them to create alternative areas so that the sale of alcohol and tobacco is less noticeable to minors.