New air route between Andorra and Palma de Mallorca as of 2024

The airline Air Nostrum adds a new air route connecting Andorra with Palma de Mallorca from January 2024, during the Andorran winter season of 2023-2024.

As we commented in a previous post, the airline Air Nostrum had been awarded in 2021 the tender to operate the Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell route with Madrid. On 15 November 2023, the Government of Andorra approved the final award to Air Nostrum, Iberia’s franchisee subsidiary for regional flights, of the tender to operate the new air route that will connect the airports of Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell with Palma de Mallorca.

A second company also took part in the tender, which was rejected because it was submitted after the deadline.

The Andorran Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Transport and Mobility is positive about the new air route, providing alternatives to diversify the arrival of tourists and the activity of the airport, as well as generating new economic synergies in the Pyrenees area and unlocking the country.

It was announced that this new route is part of a pilot test to connect the Balearic Islands with Andorra in the 2023-2024 winter season. The frequency of direct return flights will be every Friday and Sunday. There will be one flight per day. It will also be possible to make this route with a stopover in Madrid, although the most economical option will be the direct non-stop one. The route will operate from 5 January 2024 to 31 March 2024, a total of 13 weeks of operations this winter. It is already possible to book these flights on Iberia’s website.

Direct flights will depart on Fridays, from Palma de Mallorca at 8:45am and from Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell at 10:45am. On Sundays, a flight will depart from Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell to Palma at 15:40 and in the opposite direction at 13:45.

The airline announced that ticket prices will start at 50 euros each way, and residents of the Balearic Islands will have a 75% discount, applied by the Spanish government, on all flights from Balearic airports to foreign countries. The airline also announced that the internal connection with the airports of Ibiza and Menorca will be facilitated with the same flight ticket between Andorra and Palma de Mallorca.

As for compensation from the Government of Andorra, the Executive will offer a maximum of 220,000 euros depending on the actual occupancy of the new air route between Andorra and Palma de Mallorca as of 2024. This will ensure the economic viability of operating these passenger flights. In this way, this maximum cost will be reduced depending on the employability of the pilot test flights.