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Spanish airport strike threat before Easter could disrupt millions of passengers
Ground staff at 12 airports spread across Spain are threatening to walk out from March 27
Anyone heading to Spain this Easter could face delays, disruption and even flight cancellations, with fresh airport strikes on the cards at some of the country’s busiest travel hubs.
Ground staff at 12 airports are planning industrial action that could affect millions of passengers travelling in late March and April. Several Spanish unions have announced an indefinite strike starting on Friday March 27, with walkouts scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The planned strike times are spread across the day, running from 5am to 7am, 11am to 5pm and again from 10pm to midnight, which means disruption could hit both early morning departures and late-night flights.
Baggage handlers are also expected to take part, with separate 24-hour strikes planned for March 28 and 29, followed by further action between April 2 and April 6. This includes staff working for Groundforce, a company that operates at some of Spain’s busiest airports.
Major airports that could be affected include Madrid-Barajas, Málaga-Costa del Sol, Alicante-Elche, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona-El Prat, Bilbao and Valencia, along with several popular island destinations such as Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Ibiza.
The scale of the potential disruption is already raising concerns. Local reports suggest that more than 800,000 passengers could be affected at Palma airport alone if the strikes go ahead.
If no agreement is reached, the action could continue on a regular basis all the way through to December 31, including weekends, raising the prospect of ongoing travel headaches well beyond Easter.
Alongside the strike threat, travellers are also being warned about delays linked to the rollout of the new Entry Exit System, known as EES. The system requires non-EU travellers, including Brits, to register their details at border control, and early reports suggest it is already slowing things down.
Queues have been building even during quieter periods, and there are fears the situation could worsen significantly once Easter crowds arrive.
Airports Council International, Airlines for Europe and Iata have warned that delays could become far more serious during peak travel periods.
They said there are already “persistent excessive waiting times of up to two hours at airport border control.”
“Failing immediate action to provide sufficient flexibility, severe disruptions over the peak summer months are a real prospect, with queues potentially reaching four hours or more,” a spokesperson added.
In response, some Spanish airports are looking at ways to ease the pressure. Aena is preparing to introduce dedicated border control lanes for UK passengers at airports including Ibiza, Menorca, Málaga and Palma de Mallorca.
These would involve separate access points for non-Schengen travellers, aimed at speeding up the process for British and other non EU passengers.
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