Air Nostrum has defended the reliability of its inter-island flights after two further cancellations on the Menorca-Palma route renewed criticism over connections between the Balearic Islands.

The airline says the two cancellations, on September 7 and September 14, were caused by technical issues and that most affected passengers were rebooked onto later flights.

The response follows criticism from Més per Menorca deputy Josep Castells, who described the operators as “speculators” after the same 8:25 a.m. Menorca-Palma connection was cancelled on two consecutive Mondays. His comments are a political accusation and do not establish that Air Nostrum cancelled the flights for economic reasons.

Air Nostrum says the cancellations were technical

Air Nostrum confirmed that both September 7 and September 14 cancellations were due to technical reasons.

The airline said it regretted the disruption caused to passengers and stated that most travellers were accommodated on subsequent services.

The company has rejected the suggestion that the cancellations demonstrate an economic strategy to restrict the inter-island service.

The controversy over “speculation”

Castells has questioned why technical problems were cited for the same flight on two consecutive Mondays.

On September 14, the Més per Menorca spokesman said that passengers were losing hours because they depend on these connections for work, medical appointments and other personal reasons.

He also described the situation as one in which Menorcans were being subjected to “speculators”.

That wording should be understood as Castells' political criticism rather than as evidence that Air Nostrum is deliberately cancelling flights to increase prices or maximise revenue. No evidence establishing such a strategy has been presented in the reporting reviewed.

Air Nostrum points to its overall reliability figures

The airline says individual cancellations do not reflect the overall performance of its inter-island network.

According to figures provided by Air Nostrum, its inter-island operation recorded 98.2% regularity in July and 99.3% in August.

The company also reported 91% punctuality between January and August.

Air Nostrum attributed part of the improvement to an additional ATR 72-600 aircraft based in Palma from July 13, following requests from the Balearic Government for additional resources for the island network.

The route has already attracted OSP scrutiny

The Menorca-Palma connection operates under a Public Service Obligation, or OSP, which establishes service requirements for essential inter-island connectivity.

Provisional figures from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation published earlier this year showed a cancellation rate of 2.5% on the route.

The OSP conditions establish that cancellations directly attributable to the carrier should not exceed 2% of scheduled flights in each IATA season.

However, the earlier 2.5% figure was provisional and required additional information from the airline and Aena before determining whether there had actually been a breach subject to sanction.

It should therefore not be described as an established violation by Air Nostrum.

Air Nostrum says external factors caused many delays

The airline also provided a breakdown of the causes of delays between January and August.

According to Air Nostrum, 49.6% of delays were attributable to external factors, including air-traffic control, airport congestion, weather, lightning strikes and damage caused by impacts involving aircraft.

The company says 65 inter-island flights were cancelled during the year because of weather conditions.

Those figures come from Air Nostrum and should therefore be understood as the airline's own operational data.

Ibiza has also experienced disruption

The controversy is not limited to Menorca.

On July 26, an Air Nostrum flight between Palma and Ibiza was cancelled, leaving around 50 passengers in Mallorca until the following morning.

The incident occurred during a period of significant weather-related disruption across the Balearic airports. However, Aena distinguished that particular cancellation from the weather incidents and attributed it to the airline's operation.

The incident added to concerns over the reliability of connections between the islands during the summer season.

Ibiza-Menorca direct connection was not restored

Another issue affecting inter-island connectivity this summer was the absence of a regular direct Ibiza-Menorca service.

Air Nostrum had previously operated the route directly during the 2025 summer season but did not restore the regular connection for summer 2026.

A single special return service operated for the Sant Joan celebrations in June, while passengers travelling between Ibiza and Menorca otherwise had to connect through Palma.

Air Nostrum has since announced promotional fares for its inter-Balearic operation connecting Palma with Ibiza and Menorca. For travel between October and November 2026, resident fares start at €13 one way, while a second promotional period from December 2026 through June 2027 includes fares from €9 for residents, subject to availability.

The airline maintains its defence

Air Nostrum argues that the broader figures show a more reliable operation than individual incidents might suggest.

The company says its August regularity reached 99.3%, above the minimum level established under the OSP framework.

At the same time, the two latest cancellations were specifically attributed by the airline to technical problems, rather than weather or other external circumstances.

That distinction is important because the current controversy concerns both the frequency of cancellations and questions over their causes.

A wider debate over inter-island connectivity

The latest dispute comes amid a broader debate in the Balearic Islands over the cost, availability and reliability of essential air connections between Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.

Castells previously criticised what he described as speculation surrounding fares and the resident discount system, arguing that increasing the subsidy without sufficient control over ticket prices could contribute to higher costs.

A parliamentary commission has also been examining possible alternatives to the current resident-discount system.

These discussions do not establish wrongdoing by Air Nostrum, but they show why cancellations and pricing on inter-island routes remain politically sensitive.

What is confirmed

The facts currently established are straightforward.

Two Menorca-Palma flights, on September 7 and 14, were cancelled and Air Nostrum says both were due to technical problems.

A Més per Menorca politician publicly accused the operators of “speculation”, but that is an allegation rather than a proven explanation for the cancellations.

Air Nostrum reports 98.2% regularity in July and 99.3% in August across its inter-island network.

Earlier provisional figures placed the Menorca-Palma cancellation rate at 2.5% against an OSP threshold of 2% for cancellations directly attributable to the carrier, but that did not by itself establish a sanctionable breach.

The debate over the reliability and cost of inter-island air travel therefore continues, while the latest cancellations remain officially attributed by Air Nostrum to technical causes.