Prosecution seeks separate punishment of five years in prison for each of the 22 individuals charged in connection with the Son Sant Joan incident, where a plane landed in November 2021 after what authorities described as a false medical emergency. The public prosecutor has filed charges for incitement and related offenses, citing the Air Navigation Act of 1964 as the basis for the alleged crimes. The case presents a narrative of an orchestrated event, with prosecutors arguing that the actions were planned weeks in advance and that the episode created an unprecedented disruption in European airspace. The upcoming hearing is scheduled to take place in Palma State Court over the coming months, and the defendants have remained in custody since their arrests, with most taken into custody on the day of the event and a few detained in the following weeks; three defendants have not yet had public determinations regarding their status.
The indictment from the Prosecutor’s Office highlights irregular entry attempts into Spain and points to a Facebook group used by some young Moroccans to organize the operation. Following this plan, the group allegedly boarded an Air Arabia flight traveling from Morocco to Turkey on November 5, 2021, feigning a severe diabetic crisis. A so-called doctor who accompanied the travelers was reportedly not accredited, yet the prosecution says he convinced the crew that the patient’s condition warranted urgent attention. Using this asserted medical emergency, the crew was allegedly authorized to alter the flight path and land in Palma, a move that set the stage for subsequent events.
Upon landing at Son Sant Joan, the individual presumed to be ill was transported to Son Llatzer hospital, where medical staff reportedly found no evidence of the illness described. A companion who had accompanied the patient to the hospital later managed to slip away when possible. Meanwhile, a large crowd of passengers gathered near the front of the aircraft, with some activists attempting to delay departure by opening an emergency exit or pressing to exit the plane to smoke. In a rapid sequence, approximately 24 individuals exited the aircraft while it was still advancing, sprinted across the runway, and vaulted a perimeter fence in an attempt to enter Spain irregularly.
The prosecution argues that this action triggered an “unprecedented scenario in European airspace,” drawing international attention as the airport faced closures for several hours and dozens of flights were affected, diverted, or delayed. Official details indicate that the flight carrying the migrants escaped from police supervision at the moment of their exit, and security forces responded quickly, enabling twelve people to be halted within hours. The remaining individuals were subsequently dispersed across different locations on the island in the weeks that followed, creating a prolonged security and logistical challenge for local authorities and rescue services. The case highlights how coordinated actions can have wide-ranging consequences for aviation operations and public safety across borders, with ongoing investigations and proceedings seeking to determine the scope of responsibility and appropriate penalties for those involved, as described by official court documents and contemporaneous news reporting.