A Businessman, a Mallorca Airline, and a Legal Case Involving Violence and Restraint
In Mallorca, the case surrounding José Manuel Álvarez, the owner associated with the Privilege Style airline, drew attention as it progressed through the courts. Álvarez acknowledged at a Palma hearing that he struck his partner in the head and issued threats during a dispute at their Marratxí home. Following an agreement between the prosecution and defense teams, including the special prosecutor, Álvarez admitted responsibility for two offenses involving injury and intimidation and accepted a sentence consisting of community service, totaling 62 days. Previously, he had compensated the victim with 27,000 euros, a restitution considered in setting the final resolution of the matter. The court noted the mitigation of damage in this context and the role of the settlement in the proceedings.
The events occurred on the morning of June 2, 2020. The municipal criminal court in Palma reviewed the case, which involved a disagreement between Álvarez and his partner at their residence. During the confrontation, Álvarez struck his partner with a mobile phone, an act described in the court documents and later acknowledged during the proceedings.
Complications extended into the same morning, with an escalation involving a telephone conversation between Álvarez and his partner’s father. Álvarez allegedly stated threats toward the father, indicating a willingness to eliminate the person verbally and physically if necessary. The victim subsequently sought medical attention, and the incident was documented within the court files as part of the broader domestic violence context.
Álvarez was arrested on the day of the incident and released under conditions that included a restraining order for the partner. The case was initially investigated as gender-based violence by a Palma court and later brought to trial in the autumn period of the previous year. In the CRI while appearing in the criminal court, Álvarez and his legal team joined with the offices of the prosecuting attorneys to reach a procedural agreement. By the end of this process, Álvarez accepted responsibility for injuring and threatening within the family environment. The court’s decision also references a prior restitution of 27,000 euros paid to the former partner, reflecting a measure of compensation that complemented the sentence. The outcome included two sentences of 31 days of public service to be served in the public interest as the relevant sanction for the identified offenses.
A business between football, tourism and relocation
Privilege Style was established in 2003 by José María Álvarez and is headquartered in Palma. The airline operates a small fleet of four aircraft, offering private and charter flights for football clubs, including major Spanish teams such as Real Madrid, as well as chartered services for tour operators like TUI and for government-related activities. A controversial aspect of the firm’s activity involved arranging flights for asylum seekers from Africa applying for political status in the United Kingdom, a move that drew protests from advocacy groups and NGOs. The organization Freedom from Torture staged demonstrations outside Privilege Style’s Palma headquarters in one instance, and a related event in October of a previous year prompted recognition that the firm’s operations had attracted negative attention from activist circles. The broader narrative surrounding the company therefore intertwined sports, tourism, and migration policies, illustrating how a single enterprise can intersect with multiple public debates and policy arenas. The case illustrates how corporate leadership, legal accountability, and public sentiment can influence a private airline operating within a high-profile European context. This synthesis of interests has kept Privilege Style in the spotlight as it navigates regulatory, ethical, and market pressures. [Attribution: Diario de Mallorca.]