Pollensa Air Base

Pollensa Air Base is located in the Balearic Islands, Spain, ten kilometers east of the town center on the bay of Puerto de Pollensa. Established in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, it was initially designated as the Base de Hidros de Pollensa. Commander Ramón Franco selected the location due to its geographic conditions and served as the first commander of the facility. Early operations involved Italian-supplied CANT Z.501 aircraft assigned to the G-62 Hidros Group. During the conflict, the base and nearby Alcudia also hosted aircraft from the Italian Aviación Legionaria.

Following the war, the base served as the station for the 50th Rescue Squadron, which began operating Grumman HU-16 Albatross aircraft in 1954. In 1958, the 58th Rescue Squadron was established at the site with four Dornier Do 24 flying boats. The Albatross aircraft were relocated to Palma de Mallorca in the 1960s, and the facility was reclassified as Aeródromo Militar de Pollensa in 1967.

The Ejército del Aire y del Espacio operates the base. Its current missions include supporting search and rescue exercises and serving as a social residence. During summer firefighting campaigns, the base hosts Canadair CL-215T and 415 aircraft from 43 Grupo. The facility also functions as a heliport, regularly utilized by Spanish Air Force SAR helicopters.

Pollensa is the only dedicated seaplane base operated by the Spanish Air Force. It lacks a conventional landing strip, and fixed-wing operations are restricted to water landings. Infrastructure includes parking areas on both land and sea, with ramps connecting the bay to hangars and terrestrial parking facilities. These ramps allow for the transition of amphibious aircraft such as the Canadair CL-215T and 415.

In 2025, the facility was officially renamed from Aeródromo Militar de Pollensa to Base Aérea de Pollensa.