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Travellers heading to Spain this Easter are being warned of severe flight disruption as airport staff begin strikes on Monday 30 March.
Spanish unions have called for industrial action at several major airports, with workers responsible for baggage handling, aircraft turnaround, boarding, and other essential ground services all set to walk out.
The stoppages coincide with a peak travel period, when millions of passengers pass through Spanish airports.
Here’s what travellers need to know.
Major Spanish airports brace for strike disruption
Airport ground staff are striking during the busy Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) travel period.
The walkouts have been called by Spanish unions including UGT, CCOO and USO, following disputes over salaries, working conditions, and the push for sector-wide labour agreements.
Staff of the company Groundforce, which has contracts at 12 Spanish airports, will begin an indefinite strike from Monday 30 March. It will see stoppages on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, during three time slots: from 5am to 7 am, from 11 am to 5 pm and from 10 pm to midnight.
Other handling staff have planned 24-hour strikes from 2-6 April. Should no deal be reached, these may continue on a recurring basis up to 31 December, including at weekends.
The industrial action will affect some of Spain’s most trafficked airports, including Madrid-Barajas, Málaga-Costa del Sol, Alicante-Elche, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona-El Prat, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur and Norte, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Valencia, Ibiza and Bilbao.
Travellers should prepare for queues and delays
As per government legislation, a minimum service is guaranteed. This means flights are expected to operate, however travellers should be prepared for delays and schedule changes.
Limited ground staff means flight turnaround times can be longer, causing ripple effect delays for subsequent services.
At affected airports, passengers should also budget for longer check-in and bag drop queues, baggage handling delays and slower boarding and disembarkation processes.
Travellers are advised to stay updated on their flight status through airline or airport websites, arrive early for check-in and use hand luggage if possible instead of checking bags.
Passengers with flights cancelled by the strikes are entitled to rebooking on an alternative flight or a full refund.
Airlines are also obliged to provide stranded travellers with food and accommodation if necessary.
