The strikes will impact ground-handling operations at airports including Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Málaga, the Canaries and others (Image: Erlon Silva – TRI Digital via Getty Images)
British holidaymakers hoping to jet off to Spain for Easter sunshine are being warned that industrial action is planned at numerous major airports across the country. The strikes will impact ground-handling operations at airports including Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza, Málaga, the Canaries and others, with the initial action scheduled to commence on Monday. The industrial dispute involves Groundforce and Menzies employees and stems from ongoing pay disputes.
The Groundforce strikes were originally scheduled to begin on Friday but were postponed. However, it is understood they will now commence on Monday, at specific times during the mornings, afternoons and evenings, and will continue for an indefinite period. Majorca Daily Bulletin reports that « there is as yet no indication as to whether there will be further suspensions of strike action ».
Read more: New airport rules comes into force but 1 thing keeps catching people out
Read more: Airline slammed over rule that could force some passengers to buy 2 seats
Menzies employees were scheduled to strike this Saturday and Sunday. While that action was suspended, 24-hour strikes from April 2 to 6 remain in place.
Groundforce provides services at Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria, Valencia, Ibiza, Bilbao, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Menzies provides services at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North, reports the Mirror.
The Traveler website reports that « 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 ». It added that « reports indicate 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. »
It added: « For most holidaymakers, the most visible impact of the strikes is likely to be queues and slower processing rather than mass cancellations. »
Travel and Tour World, a B2B travel publisher, says travellers « are being urged to check their flight status regularly and stay updated on the latest developments ».
View of the outside of the airport terminal of Pablo Picasso Malaga airport (Image: undefined)
Strikes not the only problem
The industrial action arrives alongside the continued implementation of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which threatens to cause additional delays. Under the scheme, which has been phasing in since October and is anticipated to be fully functioning by April 10, all visitors from Britain and other non-EU nations must be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border crossings.
The Telegraph reports that the Home Office and travel organisations « are advising holidaymakers to allow extra time to arrive at their destinations on both entry and exit because of predicted queues of two to four hours at busier airports ». It adds: « Delays at airports on return journeys have already led to some holidaymakers missing their planes home, even though they arrived within the required two-hour limit. »
The publication reported how Tenerife airport has already experienced « acute delays » with one recent traveller revealing on Facebook that she had endured three hours queuing in passport control, writing: « Our flight left with 15 passengers on and ditched the rest of us here in Tenerife to fend for ourselves. »
Another holidaymaker described her shock upon reaching her airport departure gate in Paris recently to discover an extensive queue. She said: « I had entirely forgotten about the additional security checks. Only one kiosk was open, with a queue of at least 30 people, and the clock was ticking down to our flight’s departure. As we stood there, another 40 individuals joined the queue behind us, yet still, only one kiosk was operational.
« The process was painfully slow. The queue barely seemed to budge, and more people continued to join behind us. From the snippets of conversations I caught, everyone appeared as taken aback – and stressed – as I was.
« Fortunately, my partner and I had started relatively close to the front, so we managed to reach the gate just in time. As for the people behind us, I have no clue. »
Source link
