Travel chaos is set to extend beyond the summer as airport staff in Spain intend to strike for 25 days between September and December in protest over pay and working conditions.
Airport workers, including car-park staff, baggage handlers, security, IT, retail, and catering staff, will walk out for 24-hour periods over the next four months.
These strikes are set to disrupt holidays in Spain over the autumn and winter – particularly over the Christmas holidays.
Find out below when the strikes are taking place and how they may impact your flights.
When are the Spanish airport strikes?
The workers will walk out over five days in September, seven days in October, two days in November, and 11 days in December.
There will be strikes on September 15, 17, 22, 24, and 29, as well as strikes on December 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30.
Additionally, Ryanair cabin crew in Spain, backed by the SITCPLA union, will also reportedly strike every week, from Monday to Thursday, until January 7.
These strikes will impact airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Seville, and Palma de Mallorca. However, Ryanair has said it expects minimal disruption this winter.
How will the Spanish airport strikes impact holidays?
Anyone intending to travel to, from, or within Spain between September and December – especially on the confirmed strike dates – should keep checking for travel updates.
Flights may be cancelled or delayed if the unions and the airport operator do not reach an agreement.
What to do if your flight is cancelled
Amid the ongoing strikes – plus the news that British Airways will cut around 10,000 short-haul flights from Heathrow between late October and March – anyone planning on travelling over the next few months should be aware of their rights if their flight is cancelled.
If a flight is cancelled, passengers have the right to either a full refund, including other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking such as onward or return flights, or a replacement flight to get you to your destination.
Passengers are also entitled to compensation if the cancellation is the airline’s responsibility, but the amount of compensation you’re entitled to depends on when the flight was cancelled, the distance of the flight, and the departure and arrival times of the rescheduled flight.
