Passengers travelling to or from Spain this Easter are being advised to check with their airline before heading to the airport, as ground handling staff continue strike action at 12 airports.

More than 5,500 workers employed by Groundforce, a company affiliated with Air Europa, began an indefinite walkout on 30 March. The dispute, led by the CCOO, UGT and USO unions, centres on pay, with unions claiming staff have lost purchasing power because wage rises linked to accumulated inflation since 2022 have not been applied.

Airports affected include Barcelona El Prat, Madrid Barajas, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Bilbao, Zaragoza, Alicante, Valencia, Seville and Málaga. Further strike action is scheduled for 1 and 3 April, with stoppages planned between 5am and 7am, 11am and 5pm, and 10pm to midnight.

Estimates suggest more than 1.3 million passengers could be affected if the dispute continues through the Easter period. The companies involved have asked Spain’s Ministry of Labour to set minimum service levels, but disruption is expected while negotiations continue.