Second Week of Airport Strikes in Spain — More Delays and Baggage Chaos Expected

Strikes Enter Second Week

Industrial action by ground staff at Spanish airports has entered its second week of walkouts, with delays and baggage chaos that complicated Easter travel set to continue.

The strikes involve Groundforce employees — staff who manage ticket sales, check-in, baggage collection, customer service and information desks. While a separate deal was reached with Menzies (the other ground handling company), Groundforce walkouts continue indefinitely on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until a deal is reached.

Which Airports Are Affected?

The action involves 5,578 employees at 12 airports:

• Barcelona
• Madrid
• Alicante
• Valencia
• Palma de Mallorca
• Ibiza
• Málaga
• Las Palmas
• Tenerife
• Lanzarote
• Fuerteventura
• Bilbao

Walkouts are organised in three time slots: 5am–7am, 11am–5pm and 10pm–midnight.

The Impact So Far

The first week of strikes caused significant disruption:

• Barcelona — over 2,000 suitcases stranded, plus luggage from four flights left unloaded
• Madrid-Barajas — "mountains of luggage" on the tarmac, huge queues, flight delays and six planes took off without baggage
• Palma de Mallorca — around 30 flights delayed
• Gran Canaria — serious delays reported

Groundforce provides services to specific airlines depending on the airport, so not all flights are affected. In Barcelona, for example, Groundforce staff mainly work for Lufthansa, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.

What Workers Want

The workers are calling on Groundforce to implement pay rises agreed via collective bargaining. The dispute centres on the company's failure to honour previously negotiated wage increases.

Practical Advice for Travellers

• Contact your airline to check the status of your flight
• Factor in extra time for connecting flights
• If possible, travel with hand luggage only to avoid baggage delays
• Check Aena's website for live flight status updates

Despite the disruption, there were still more than 70,505 flights to and from Spain between March 27 and April 6.

This article is based on reporting from The Local Spain, published April 7, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your airline before travelling.