Spain airport strikes: Which airlines are striking? When are they striking? How will it impact my holiday?

Spanish workers across three airlines are planning industrial action that will last up until January.

Speaking to the i, Spanish union Unión Sindical Obrera (USO) confirmed that only strike action by Spanish cabin crew at Ryanair and Iberia Express cabin crew and easyJet pilots have been confirmed.

Here’s everything you need to know about the strikes, including the dates, affected Spanish airports and advice from airlines that you should know before you travel.

When are easyJet pilots striking in Spain?

EasyJet pilots who are members of the Spanish union SELPA are planning 72 hours strike action from Saturday 27 to Monday, August 29 at easyJet bases in Spain.

This will be the last wave of strikes from easyJet pilots planned for this month as negotiations continue.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We would like to apologise to impacted customers for any inconvenience caused and are doing all possible to minimise any disruption as a result of the strike action, providing those affected with free transfers to alternative flights or a refund as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.”

Which Spanish airports are affected by the easyJet pilot strikes?

Barcelona

Malaga

Palma de Mallorca

When are Ryanair cabin crew striking?

Spanish unions USO and Sitcpla have called for 1,600 workers belonging to the Ryanair, Crewlink and Workforce companies to take part in a series of weekly walk-outs from Monday to Thursday over Ryanair’s refusal to negotiate a new collective agreement. These walk-outs are planned to continue until January 7, 2023.

According to USO, eight flights have been cancelled and 1,138 flights have been delayed since last week’s four-day walk-out.

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “These two tiny unions who represent only a handful of our Spanish cabin crew have held a number of poorly supported 'strikes' in June and July which have had little or no impact on Ryanair’s flights to or from Spain.

“In July alone Ryanair operated over 3,000 daily flights and carried a record 16.8m passengers – many of them to/from Spain. Ryanair expects that these latest threatened strikes, which involve only a handful of our Spanish cabin crew, will have zero impact on our Spanish flights or schedules in August or September.”

Which Spanish airports are affected by the Ryanair cabin crew strikes?

Alicante

Barcelona

Girona

Ibiza

Madrid-Barajas

Malaga

Palma de Mallorca

Santiago de Compostela

Seville

Valencia

When are Iberia Express cabin crew striking in Spain?

Cabin crew working for Madrid-based airline Iberia Express have called for strike action after pay negotiations came to a halt.

The industrial action is proposed to take place over ten days, from Sunday, August 28 to Tuesday, September 6.

USO is asking for a 6.5 per cent increase in cabin crew wages.

An Iberia Express spokesperson said: “Iberia Express has demonstrated its capacity for dialogue and its willingness to offer solutions in the agreement reached with the other union, CCOO, and with which improvements have already been made to the agreement to deal with inflation and which will involve wage improvements and new higher labuor levels among cabin crew members, and other benefits related to days off and reduction in working hours.”

What to do if my flight is cancelled?

Passengers are reminded to keep an eye on travel updates, as flight cancellations could be a possibility during the industrial action.

If you had a cancelled flight, the airline must offer to book you on an alternative route as close to your arrival time as possible.

You are entitled to a full refund, but you can only accept a refund or a rebooking - not both.

You may be able to claim if the flight is cancelled within 14 days of travel. If the flight is cancelled more than 14 days before travel then you will not be due compensation but you are entitled to a full refund.

The amount of compensation you receive depends on the distance of the flight and the length of the delay.

Up to 1,500km and delayed three hours or more, you are entitled to £220 in compensation

1,500km-3,500km and delayed three hours or more, you are entitled to £350

Over 3,500km and delayed three to four hours, you are entitled to £260

Over 3,500km and delayed more than four hours, you are entitled to £520