Mallorcair has recently opened a new General Aviation Terminal at Palma de Mallorca airport, fully equipped with two vip lounges for passengers plus one vip lounge for crews.

Very much a joint effort, the Spanish CAA finished construction of the building in June last year and Mallorcair has since renovated the interior to suit the needs of its business jet visitors.

According to company founder Miguel Mudoy, the Spanish island has developed into a major tourist destination and his company is now well-positioned to cash in on its popularity among business aircraft users.

He explained: “What we sell here is the good weather, the Mediterranean, the food, an open mentality and the boats. We have an enormous amount of yachts based here.”

Mudoy says visitors fly in from far and near, with the Germans leading the European charge southwards and Americans representing a high percentage of visitors from outside Europe.

Mallorca’s tourist season runs from Easter to November but even outside these times, Mudoy says people come to stay in their second homes and enjoy the less phrenetic atmosphere of the off-season.

During March and April, DaimlerChrysler visited the island’s capital to show off their latest versions of the Mercedes CLK and SLK. “Every day, we had vendors and journalists invited by Mercedes,” said Mudoy, “and every day, we had aircraft visiting. There were 10 to 12 Mercedes all lined up outside our facility.”

There are two other handling facilities at Palma de Mallorca airport but says Mudoy, there is ample business for everyone.

Visiting aircraft are mainly found in the jet category, while lighter aircraft tend to visit the island’s old airport of Son Bonet.

Apart from the vip lounges, Mallorcair’s new facility can offer everything from air conditioning, TV satellite and DVD players to a snooze room, showers and a shop which sells Spanish wines, cigars and Champagne. The company has room to park 70 aircraft from light twins up to A319s and BBJs.

Mallorcair was created in 1991 and ten years ago was handling about 400 aircraft a year. The company now boasts 5,000 movements per annum with 15 staff covering a 24-hour operation. As Mudoy says, life could not be better right now: “We’re doing way more than we ever expected.”