Ground staff at a number of Spanish airports have gone on strike, causing concerns around possible travel disruption during the Easter holidays.
Almost 6,000 baggage handlers, ground vehicle operators and marshals across two companies – Groundforce and Menzies Group – are taking part in the industrial action, which began today.
Here are the key things you need to know if you are planning to travel to or from Spain.
The strikes were originally planned to start on Friday, March 27, but were delayed at the last minute until Monday, March 30.
Groundforce employees are walking out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5am-7am, 11am-5pm and 10pm-12am. This is expected to continue indefinitely.
Workers are demanding a salary increase and have cited a “loss of purchasing power for the workforce”. Despite rising inflation, ground staff have had their pay frozen since 2022.
In a statement, the unions behind the walkout said that if an agreement was not reached in the coming days, they would not rule out extending the strike to weekends until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, staff at Menzies Group will be striking for a shorter period, but one that nonetheless straddles the Easter weekend. Their strike will apply daily from April 2 to April 6 between 12am and 12pm.
Both strikes include the Easter Holy Week, and it is likely that this will be when operations are most severely affected.
It is one of Spain’s busiest periods for airport traffic, as families flock to its beaches over the school holidays and millions are drawn to its cities to experience the impressive Semana Santa processions. Spanish outlet Antena 3 has estimated that 1.34 million passengers could be affected.
Multiple airports across the country will see strike action, with Spanish media reporting that the following hubs will be affected:
The rollout of the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES) began last October, and since then many passengers have faced severe delays at the new e-gates.
With non-EU passport holders being required to register their biometric data on arrival in the Schengen Area, queues of several hours formed at some European airports; most recently in Tenerife, Lanzarote and Malaga.
The European Commission has announced that “certain flexibilities” will be granted until September to allow for full implementation of the system. However, April 10 is still the deadline to which most airports are working, leading the UK Home Office to issue a warning to travellers.
“Ahead of the Easter holidays, Brits are being advised to be aware of extra border checks… and allow additional time at the border when travelling to the EU,” newly published advice on the Government’s website says.
While the ground staff strikes will not affect border control processing times directly, it is possible that passengers will face both EES delays and disruption to other stages of their journey as a result of the walkout.
A spokesman from the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) says: “We advise customers travelling to or from Spain in the coming days to allow extra time at the airport, stay in contact with their travel provider, and monitor for any updates to their flight times or arrangements.
“As a precaution, passengers should also ensure essential items, such as medication and items for children, are packed in their hand luggage.”
Experts have also suggested that – if possible – travelling solely with hand luggage will help passengers bypass any issues at baggage reclaim.
The strike is more likely to cause delays than cancellations, and it is worth checking whether your travel insurance package covers industrial action. But regardless of insurance, passengers should be aware of their rights when it comes to flight disruption.
In the event of a delay of three hours or more, airlines are required to provide food and drink vouchers and refund the cost of any essential phone calls. If a flight is delayed overnight, they must provide hotel accommodation and transport to it.
Delays of three hours or more caused by industrial action within an airline would usually qualify for compensation. However, as this strike is taking place among ground staff, it is outside airlines’ control and therefore passengers are unlikely to receive compensation for any disruption.
Spain’s airport operator, Aena, has urged passengers to contact the airline they are travelling with to check the status of their flight.
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