Monday March 30th marks the start of a series of stoppages by ground handling staff at airports across Spain this Easter. Here’s what you need to know if you’re travelling to or from Spanish airports over the holiday period.
Groundforce, a ground handling company with contracts at 12 Spanish airports, were due to begin an indefinite strike starting on Friday March 27th, but instead agreed to postpone it until this Monday, March 30th.
The strike is due to affect airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Bilbao.
Initial reports on Monday cite Spanish trade union UGT as saying that the strikes are so far causing delays of around 50 minutes for passengers at some airports Bilbao, Valencia, and Madrid Barajas.
Union sources told Spanish news agency Europa Press that baggage claim carousels are not operating property at Madrid and Barcelona airports.
The stoppages will continue over the Easter break on Wednesday, April 1st, and Good Friday April 3rd, from 5am to 7am, 11am to 5pm and from 10pm to midnight.
At the same time, workers at Menzies, which provides ground handling services at airports in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North, are also due to strike this week.
They too postponed their strikes, which were due to take place over the weekend on March 28th and 29th, but still have scheduled 24-hour stoppages on April 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.
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There are more than 3,000 Groundforce employees across Spain, responsible for servicing aircraft on the ground, checking people in and services at the terminal.
Groundforce provides services for the Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and Wizz Air. Therefore, flights chartered by Vueling, Iberia, Pegasus, and Germanwings are not affected by the strike.
The Canary Islands are expected to be one of the worst places affected by their strikes as they have five different airports involved – two in Tenerife, one in Gran Canaria, one in Fuerteventura, and another in Lanzarote.
The Canary Islands are also some of the most popular destinations this Easter with more than 15,000 flights scheduled to the islands until April 6th.
According to the unions, the employers have a willingness to engage in dialogue, but warned that if an agreement is not reached in the coming days, they will not rule out extending the strike to weekends until the end of the year.
READ ALSO: What to expect from Spain’s two airport strikes this Easter
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Workers are demanding correct salary scales according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to avoid losing purchasing power.
Menzies workers, on the other hand, are striking over work schedules, saying that their employer alters breaks, holidays and schedules at their whim and only provides basic conditions, similar to a part-time contract. They also have disputes over pay.
If you are due to fly out from airports in Spain over the Easter period, the general advise is that you check your flight status regularly and arrive at the airport much earlier than usual, especially for international flights.
Spanish airport operator Aena has recommended contacting airlines to check the status of affected flights if in doubt.
Airport authorities also advise that you factor in extra time for connecting flights and if possible travel with only hand luggage rather than checked-in bags, in order to avoid baggage delays.
Those departing from airports in the Canaries, as well as Alicante, Barcelona, Málaga, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca should leave even more time than expected as these airports typically experience the highest passenger volume over Easter in Spain.
