UK Tourists Defy Majorca Bomb Chaos

British tourists are again flying to and from the terror-hit holiday island of Majorca today.

Spanish authorities blamed yesterday's bomb attack on the Basque separatist group Eta and said that the explosion in Palmanova represents the first fatal bomb attack in the Balearic Islands.

Two police officers, identified as Carlos Saenz de Tejada Garcia and Diego Salva Lesaun, both in their 20s, were killed in the blast. A second unexploded device was later found near the explosion site and was defused.

The deadly attack came just a day after a massive car bomb in the northern Spanish city of Burgos injured more than 60 people.

After massive disruption yesterday afternoon, when the island was effectively 'locked down' all the British holidaymakers stranded at the island's Palma airport were being allowed to fly home.

Flights out of the airport in the capital Palma were suspended for several hours and those flying to the island from the UK also faced delays.

Some flights inbound to the Spanish island had been forced to turn back to Gatwick Airport while others were diverted elsewhere in Spain.

However, after the double murder of two Spanish police officers who were killed in the blast in the Palmanova beach resort, the return today of inbound tourists from the UK will be seen as a fillip to the recession-hit Spanish tourist industry - and a snub to the terrorists bend on inflicting both murderous and economic harm on Spain.

Typical of this approach, holidaymakers planning to fly out to Majorca from Northern Ireland are being told "they should not worry unduly".

Especially after three decades of local terrorism during the Ulster Troubles, people are expected to ignore the bombing and get on with their holiday.

Doreen McKenzie, Northern Ireland spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said last night there had been minimal disruption to travellers from the Province, despite a delayed flight coming out of Belfast International Airport yesterday.

Ms McKenzie said people travelling out of Belfast International Airport yesterday were only delayed for about an hour-and-a-half. She estimates that between one and two thousand Ulster holidaymakers would probably be on the island at present.

"If this bomb in Majorca turns out to be a one-off it should not be a big worry for travellers."

However, at the height of the chaos, four Thomson Airways flights alone were in the air bound for Majorca when news came through that the airport was being shut.

One plane from Gatwick and another from Norwich were turned around mid-flight and re-directed to Gatwick. The other two were diverted to one of the other Balearic islands.

Other airlines also experienced diversions and long delays, but today is as much as possible 'back to normal' operations.

However, some people criticised the 'lock-down' as over-reaction after police ordered that no planes, ships or pleasure boats leave the island while they hunted for the bombers.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero described the killings as "vile" and paid tribute to the Civil Guards and said the killers would be caught.

Eta has been held responsible for more than 820 deaths during its decades-long campaign for an independent homeland in Spain's Basque region.

The bombs came ahead of the 50th anniversary of Eta's founding, today, (Friday).

(BMcC/KMcA)