Brits may face Easter travel disruption after luggage was left behind and flights were delayed at Spanish airports amid widespread strikes. At least six planes are believed to have taken off from Madrid without a substantial number of suitcases on the first day of action today, while incidents have been reported at all 12 Spanish airports affected.
Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Malaga have reportedly experienced the greatest delays, where some luggage is believed to have been left on the ground. Palma alone recorded at least 12 delayed flights by Monday afternoon, including both arrivals and departures. As per government legislation, a minimum service is guaranteed. However, a travel agency representative warned the strikes could significantly affect the operation of Palma de Mallorca airport and the image of the island as a tourist destination.
Pedro Fiol, president of the Business Association of Travel Agencies of the Balearic Islands (Aviba), said: « Travellers are advised to take extra precautions to minimise potential inconveniences.
« Among the main measures, they include going to the airport earlier than usual, taking into account that waiting times at security controls, check-in and baggage delivery could be significantly longer. »
According to the Spanish airport AENA, the delays recorded today in Palma may be due to multiple reasons, as it also coincides with the start of Holy Week. However, they did not deny that the strike may be one of the causes of these delays.
The strikes involve staff from Groundforce, who handle key airport operations, including baggage, boarding, and aircraft turnaround. The dispute centres on pay and working conditions.
Industrial action began on March 30 and will continue indefinitely on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with stoppages scheduled between 5–7am, 11am–5pm, and 10pm–midnight.
The impacted airports include Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Malaga, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Bilbao.
Workers are also taking strike action from the company Menzies, which deals with ramp assistance at high-traffic airports such as Barcelona-El Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South and Tenerife North.
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