Spain travel disruption warning

Ground staff strikes in Spain by Menzies workers and Ryanair handling crews threaten delays at five airports this August.

Spain flight disruptions hit UK travellers

Ground handling giant Menzies has 1,500 workers planning strikes that will affect five Spanish airports: Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Palma, Malaga and Tenerife South. The action is scheduled for August 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 and involves services for airlines including Emirates, British Airways, American Airlines, EasyJet, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian and Wizz Air. The union UGT says the protests target what it calls serious and repeated breaches of labour agreements and working conditions, including salary issues, subrogation rights, disorganized hours and payroll errors. It also points to staff shortages and arbitrary holiday schedules, and accuses Menzies of breaches of sectoral and company agreements ratified before SIMA in December 2024.

In addition, Ryanair's handling subsidiary Azul Handling will strike August 15 to 17 and then every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 31. The protests run across three time windows: 5am to 9am, noon to 3pm and 9pm to 11:59pm. By law, a minimum service must be provided yet the exact level is still to be defined, and SIMA mediation is being sought. The strikes come as Spain sees peak visitor numbers during school holidays, heightening risk for travellers and the wider tourism sector.

The disruptions reveal how intertwined airport services are with travel demand during peak season. Outsourcing of ground handling to firms like Menzies and Azul Handling creates a layer of fragility: a single wave of strikes can ripple across airlines and destinations. If talks stall, the effect could push up flight delays, baggage backlog and airline contingency costs, hitting both customers and carriers. The developments also spotlight how unions leverage leverage in a busy tourism economy, where political pressure, public reaction and financial costs collide in real time.

Highlights

Travelers should monitor airline notices and expect possible delays as talks continue.