Palma Airport Employee Canteen Remains Closed – 15,000 Employees Affected

Palma Airport Canteen Remains Closed

For days, the topic has been discussed around the baggage carousel: Palma Airport's employee canteen remains closed. This is due not only to declining visitor numbers or staffing shortages, but also to debts left by the previous operator. The new tender from AENA did go ahead, but in the end no one came forward to take on the financial burden.

What exactly happened

Concrete figures circulate behind the scenes: Over €400,000 still outstanding. For a business that serves hundreds of meals daily, that's an amount that deters potential operators. The consequence: no operating company, no kitchen, no discounted menus for the airport team.

Impact on employees

More than 15,000 people work on the premises — from ground staff to security to cleaning. Many rely on the canteen as a quick, affordable source of meals. Now there are only two options: either pay the often higher prices at the public bistros in the terminal, or bring meals from home. And those who think they can simply step outside to grab a Mallorca-style bocadillo are mistaken: leaving the security area can cause issues and is not easily possible.

Yesterday I spoke with a baggage handler who works in shifts from 6 to 14. "Earlier you could get a menu for four or five euros. Now I have to pre-cook every morning, wake up three hours earlier — that's not always feasible," she said. There are many such voices.

Why the administration is not acting differently

AENA wanted to relet the canteen symbolically for zero euros to attract bidders. That apparently was not enough: The legacy burdens are too large. It sounds like bureaucratic trouble, but it is a very practical problem: Without a solid business plan, no one takes the risk.

What to expect now

In the short term, the situation remains uncomfortable for the workforce. In the mid term, a solution seems possible if investors or a smaller operator with debt restructuring can be found. Until then, improvisation: thermal containers, lunch boxes, and longer break planning.

Anyone who is regularly at the airport will notice immediately: the lunch break has changed. And that's not only for the staff — baggage handlers, taxi drivers, and even pilots talk about it when they grab a coffee between flights. It's a small supply problem with surprisingly large impact.

If there is movement in the negotiations, we will keep you informed. Until then: plan, bring your own, endure — or hope that a new operator will soon be found willing to invest in the canteen.