For anyone living in or visiting Northern Mallorca, getting to Palma Airport without a car can be surprisingly straightforward. The TIB airport buses connect Can Picafort, Playa de Muro, Playa de Alcúdia, Port d’Alcúdia, Alcúdia, Sa Pobla and Inca directly with Palma Airport, meaning you can avoid travelling into Palma and changing buses.
But there is one thing about the service that isn’t immediately obvious, and I learnt this the hard way.
A warning before you travel
On a recent journey to the airport, I arrived at the bus stop in Sa Pobla with 1 hour and 50 minutes to spare before my flight. I assumed that if the bus was scheduled to stop there, I could simply wait, get on and continue to the airport… I couldn’t.
I hadn’t notified TIB in advance that I wanted to board that particular service from Sa Pobla. Despite arriving in plenty of time, I wasn’t allowed onto the bus, leaving me with little choice but to take a rather costly last-minute taxi to the airport. So, if you’re planning to use the TIB to catch a flight, don’t make the same assumption I did.
The good news is that the system itself is fairly easy to understand once you know which services require a reservation and what you need to do. Here’s how the airport buses work, where they stop and, most importantly, when you need to reserve.
Which TIB bus goes to Palma Airport?
There are two TIB airport routes serving the Alcúdia area: the A32 and A33.
The A32 runs from Can Picafort to Palma Airport, travelling along the Bay of Alcúdia before heading inland through Sa Pobla and Inca. It serves stops in Can Picafort, Playa de Muro, Playa de Alcúdia, Port d’Alcúdia and Alcúdia, making it the main airport connection for much of Northern Mallorca.
The A33 runs from Port d’Alcúdia to Palma Airport, serving Port d’Alcúdia, Alcúdia, Sa Pobla and Inca before reaching the airport. Unlike the A32, the A33 operates as an airport route throughout the year.
So, if you’re staying anywhere from Can Picafort and Playa de Muro through to Alcúdia and Port d’Alcúdia, there is a direct TIB airport connection available.
The A32: Can Picafort to Palma Airport
The A32 is particularly useful for anyone staying around the Bay of Alcúdia.
Travelling south towards the airport, it starts in Can Picafort and serves stops including Son Bauló, Can Picafort Sud, Can Picafort Centre and Platja de Can Picafort. It then continues through Playa de Muro, with stops including Casetes des Capellans, Els Pins, S’Albufera and Los Troncos, before reaching Playa de Alcúdia and Port d’Alcúdia.
From there, the bus continues through Alcúdia, Sa Pobla and Inca, eventually arriving at Palma Airport.
The current 2026 A32 summer timetable runs from 27 March to 31 October. Check the TIB website for the latest timetable before travelling.
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The A33: Port d’Alcúdia to Palma Airport
The A33 is a simpler route for passengers around Port d’Alcúdia and Alcúdia.
It starts at Entre-mar-i-estany in Port d’Alcúdia, with another Port d’Alcúdia stop, before continuing through Alcúdia, Sa Pobla and Inca to Palma Airport.
The current timetable shows regular services throughout the day. For example, one A33 service leaves Port d’Alcúdia at 09:20 and is scheduled to arrive at Palma Airport at 10:30, making the journey approximately 70 minutes.
What about Pollença and Port de Pollença?
If you’re staying in Pollença or Port de Pollença, there isn’t currently a direct TIB airport bus from the town or resort. Instead, the easiest public transport option is to connect with the airport services at Port d’Alcúdia.
The 322 runs between Pollença, Port de Pollença and Port d’Alcúdia, where it connects with both the A32 and A33 airport buses. The 322 serves stops in Pollença, Port de Pollença and Port d’Alcúdia, making it possible to make the journey without having to travel into Palma first.
The key thing is to allow enough time for the connection. If you’re travelling with luggage and have a flight to catch, I’d personally build in plenty of extra time rather than planning a tight connection between the 322 and the airport bus.
For Pollença: take the 322 towards Port d’Alcúdia, then change for the A32 or A33 to Palma Airport.
For Port de Pollença: take the 322 towards Port d’Alcúdia, then change for the airport service there.
The A32 and A33 both stop at Port d’Alcúdia before continuing towards Sa Pobla, Inca and Palma Airport.
The important bit - Do you need to reserve your place?
No, you don’t need to reserve every TIB airport bus.
However, certain A32 and A33 services require passengers travelling from Sa Pobla to the airport to request a place in advance.
For the current timetables, TIB says that these reservations must be requested before 21:00 on the day before travel, either by email or telephone. Once your request is confirmed, TIB sends confirmation by email or SMS.
The requirement does not apply to every departure. The timetables specifically identify exceptions, which is why it is important to check the individual service you intend to use rather than assuming that all airport buses work in exactly the same way. For the relevant services, TIB gives these reservation details:
Email: tibreserves@consorcidetransports.com
Telephone: 617 365 365
And this is the lesson I learnt in Sa Pobla: seeing the bus on the timetable does not necessarily mean you can simply turn up and board it.
So... What about Sa Pobla?
Sa Pobla works slightly differently depending on which direction you’re travelling.
Sa Pobla → Palma Airport: Some A32 and A33 services require you to reserve your place in advance, while certain early departures are exempt. If your service requires a reservation, you need to request it before travelling.
Palma Airport → Sa Pobla: You don’t need to make an advance reservation. However, you must tell the driver when you board that you want to get off at Sa Pobla. If you don’t, the bus won’t stop there.
A few other things to know
Express services
Some A32 and A33 departures are marked Express. These are intended for airport journeys and cannot be used for trips between stops in the Alcúdia–Can Picafort section.
How long does it take?
Journey times vary depending on where you board. From Port d’Alcúdia, the A33 takes around 70 minutes on some services, with the journey taking longer from Can Picafort and other stops further north. If you’re catching a flight, allow plenty of extra time for traffic or delays.
Where do you catch the bus at the airport?
Airport-bound buses arrive at Aeroport – Sortides (Departures). For the journey back north, you board at Aeroport – Arribades (Arrivals), with services heading through Inca and Sa Pobla towards Alcúdia and the Bay of Alcúdia.
The A32 isn’t just for the airport
Since July 2026, the A32 can also be used for journeys between the Alcúdia area and Inca, giving residents and workers another public transport option alongside the existing 302 service. It runs approximately every 50 minutes during the current summer timetable.
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