Spain remains one of the top holiday destinations for Irish travellers, but those planning to travel over the Easter break have been warned of potential disruptions as strike action begins today at several of the country’s busiest airports.
The industrial action involves ground handling staff at major airports, including Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Malaga, and the Canary Islands. The first phase of strikes has been scheduled following a breakdown in negotiations between the UGT union and Menzies Group. The dispute, which revolves around pay, was brought before the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA) after talks failed to reach an agreement.
Groundforce staff had originally planned to begin their strikes last Friday, but action was postponed to allow for further negotiations. Now, the walkouts are expected to start today, with staff taking part in staggered shifts throughout mornings, afternoons, and evenings. The union has stated that the strikes will continue until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, Menzies employees had also planned strike action over the weekend, which was temporarily suspended. However, 24-hour strikes scheduled between April 2 and April 6 remain set to go ahead.
Groundforce provides services at Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Ibiza, Bilbao, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. Menzies operates at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, and Tenerife North.
Travel experts have warned that passengers may face a difficult period at these airports, with delays to baggage handling, longer queues, and potential timetable disruptions likely over the coming days.
According to The Traveler website, “travellers heading to Spain over Easter face a challenging season, as walkouts by airport ground staff threaten queues, baggage delays and potential timetable disruption at some of the country's busiest hubs.” The report added that “the stoppages are partial rather than full shutdowns, typically concentrated in several time bands during mornings, midday and late evenings. This pattern mirrors earlier labour disputes at Madrid, where limited ground handling strikes created bottlenecks at baggage reclaim and during boarding, while flights continued to operate under minimum service rules.”
While the strikes are not expected to completely halt airport operations, passengers have been advised to allow extra time for check-in, baggage drop, and boarding. Airlines are also urging travellers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport, as operational disruptions may vary depending on the location and timing of the strike shifts.
With Easter being a peak travel period, the combination of strike action and busy holiday traffic is likely to cause frustration for many travellers heading to Spain over the coming days.
