STRIKES at one of Spain’s busiest airports have already caused problems for holidaymakers – and could continue into next month.
Groundforce workers who cover ground-handling services, check-in and boarding started indefinite industrial action in early August with no end date in sight.
The strikes have been heavily impacting Barcelona El Prat which is Spain’s second busiest airport.
Due to the strike action by Groundforce, it’s been estimated that 11,600 flights and close to two million passengers could be exposed to the action across the two months.
Indefinite industrial action started on August 4 and has continued across the summer holidays with warnings that it’s set to continue.
Groundforce workers at Barcelona El Prat cover ground-handling services including check-in, boarding, ramp operations and flight coordination for 20 airlines at the airport.
Airlines that use Groundforce include Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, Turkish Airlines and Finnair.
Many airlines fly from the UK to Barcelona including Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet and Vueling.
While they don’t use Groundforce, passengers could still be impacted by delays and queues in the airport.
The strike has had an impact on services with the CGT union reported 250 cancelled flights and 6,000 affected bags between August 4-18.
Talking to Breaking Travel News, Jürgen Himmelmann, Co-Founder of Global Work & Travel, said: “The important thing for anyone with a Barcelona trip coming up is that this strike doesn’t currently have a fixed end date.
“If you’re travelling in September, don’t assume that because your holiday is a few weeks away the issue will have been resolved by then.
“That doesn’t mean your flight will be disrupted, but it does mean it’s worth preparing now. Check which airline you’re travelling with, keep monitoring your booking and think about what you’d need with you if your checked luggage was delayed.”
A minimum service requirement has been set by Spain’s Ministry of Transport during the months of August and September.
