Jurídicos y Administrativos

🗑️ The Balearic Government's plan to raise the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) between 66% and 200% during peak tourist season was halted due to lack of support in the Parliament. Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, criticized the measure in an interview with Preferente, highlighting the ineffectiveness of the ecotax in combating tourist overcrowding. He cited a +29.6% increase in tourist housing in Spain during 2024 and that 89% of the pressure on beach destinations is due to resident population growth. Escarrer also mentioned the proposed ecotax hike could detract more than 300 million euros from tourist spending in the Balearic destination.

✈️ USO denounces the illegal constitution of the negotiation table for Ryanair's cabin crew collective agreement, recently nullified by the National Court. The union alleges forced affiliation and harmful clauses in the annulled deal, which lacked standard benefits and salary increases until 2030. USO calls for assemblies to renegotiate with legal compliance and expects Ryanair to honor the court's decision.

🏨 Hotel capacity in the Balearic Islands increased by only 5% since 2015, while vacation rental homes soared by 135%, with 1 out of every 25 homes dedicated to tourism—the highest ratio in Spain. Pollença leads in tourist housing, second only to Yaiza and La Oliva in the Canary Islands. Meliá Hotels International's CEO Gabriel Escarrer points out that while hoteliers have invested in quality over quantity since the 2012 Tourism Law reform, the “powerful landlords' association” Habtur continues to saturate the market and push residential housing out. The government's planned decree favors the rental tourism model without addressing the housing crisis, potentially leading to a "second Balearization" where quality tourists may decline due to unsustainable conditions.

🔧 Preferente, REPORTUR, and arecoa.com, part of the same media group, were hit by two cyberattacks in three days, disrupting access for several hours. The attacks originated from an IP address in Amsterdam, though it could have been masked. The incidents coincide with reporting on international elections and a controversial political figure linked to opaque dealings in Spain, Africa, and the Dominican Republic. The group has strengthened its web protection to prevent future attacks.

🛫 USCA and CCOO unions denounce deteriorating working conditions at Saerco-operated control towers as summer air season begins. Cuatro Vientos airport in Madrid saw controller numbers cut from 12 to 8 without replacements, against the advice of a 2024 arbitration award. Similar patterns at Vigo, Jerez, Sevilla, Lanzarote towers. Saerco imposes extra shifts instead of hiring, challenging labor regulation arbitration, causing uncertainty. CCOO blames 2010 liberalization policy for "toxic" work environment, stress, and fatigue. Unions demand public management of towers, citing UK precedent.

🏖 Barcelona's tourism sector condemns the hike in the tourist tax as agreed by the Mayor's office, Generalitat, and partners. Luxury hotels could face a tax of €15 per night, 5-star hotels €7, 4-star hotels €3.40, and tourist homes €4.50. The increase could harm competitiveness, particularly in the MICE sector and family tourism. Criticism arises over 25% of tax proceeds being allocated to housing policies rather than tourism promotion, suggesting tourism is wrongly blamed for housing issues. The tax was initially intended for Barcelona's promotion and infrastructure improvement.

✈ The Hidalgo family, owning 80% of Air Europa, faces lower-than-expected offers from Lufthansa and Air France-KLM due to the sector's stock market impact. Lufthansa's offer fell below €240 million, critical to offset a €475 million loan from SEPI during the pandemic. Air France-KLM initially proposed €300 million for a 51% stake, then lowered the bid after the Hidalgos' refusal to lose majority control. IAG, with a 20% stake via Iberia, has lost 36% in stock value since late February, complicating capital increase pricing. The Hidalgos seek to close the deal by summer and have consulted SEPI about the offers, essential for repaying the €475 million loan. Despite market concerns, Air Europa boasts strong recent results and demand, with promising summer prospects.

🏠 The Gobierno de las Islas Baleares' draft decree aims to reduce tourism saturation and illegal offerings has been questioned by the Federación Empresarial Hotelera de Mallorca (FEHM), citing no improvement in housing access or resident cohabitation. FEHM insists on expiring temporary rental authorizations to revert residences to original use, highlighting over 98,000 vacation rental places in 8 years. Habtur counters, blaming hotel industry growth for urban pressure and social issues, while defending vacation rentals as beneficial for local families' economies.

✈ Ryanair sues a traveler in Polish courts after an incident on January 9, leading to a flight diversion to Sevilla from Berlin to Marrakech. The company seeks over €3,000 in damages and has banned the individual for 5 years. The altercation involved 170 passengers and has been reported to the Civil Guard. Ryanair aims to recover the extra costs incurred due to the passenger's disruptive behavior.

🚀 Families suing Boeing over a 737 Max crash in Ethiopia, which occurred on March 10, 2019, reached a last-minute out-of-court settlement before the trial, set to begin in Chicago to evaluate two wrongful death and negligence claims, could commence. The crash was the second to mar the 737 Max's record, happening just six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa. The case withdrawal followed previous individual settlements, yet a separate legal challenge by the U.S. Department of Justice accuses Boeing of falsifying information to aviation authorities throughout various accident investigations.