All the Spanish airport strikes planned for April 2026 and beyond

Travellers heading to Spain this Easter are being warned of flight disruption as airport staff go on strike in the heart of the half-term holiday.

Spanish unions have called for indefinite industrial action at several major airports.

Over 3,000 workers are expected to walk out, with the impact felt from the check-in desk to the baggage carousel.

Starting today, March 30, the strikes will occur every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Union bosses say they will continue until demands are met.

Stoppages will be staggered across three daily time slots – from 5 to 7am, from 11am to 5pm and from 10pm to midnight – to maximise disruption.

The walk-out coincides with a peak travel period, when millions of passengers pass through Spanish airports.

Here’s everything you need to know.

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Why are Spanish airport workers striking?

It’s easy to be frustrated when your holiday is threatened, but it’s worth noting why this is happening.

The walkouts have been called by Spanish unions including UGT, CCOO and USO, following disputes over pay, inflation-linked wage updates, and working conditions.

The unions argue that ground staff have seen their wages frozen since 2022, despite soaring inflation.

That same year, Spain was the developed country with the worst unemployment and inflation figures, according to the ‘Misery Index’, which measures the economic health of a country based on distress felt by ordinary people.

As one union representative put it: ‘We are the first ones at the airport and the last to leave, yet we can no longer afford to live in the cities we serve.’

Which airports in Spain will be affected and when?

Airport ground staff are planning to strike during the busy Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) travel period.

Staff at the company Groundforce, which has contracts at 12 Spanish airports, have been on strike since Friday.

Should no deal be reached, the action may continue on a recurring basis up to 31 December—including at weekends.

These strikes will affect some of Spain’s busiest airports, including the most popular gateways for British tourists:

• Madrid-Barajas


• Malaga-Costa del Sol


• Barcelona-El Prat


• Lanzarote


• Ibiza


• Tenerife (Sur and Norte)


• Valencia


• Bilbao


• Gran Canaria


• Palma de Mallorca

When to expect the most disruption

The industrial action is divided between two major ground-handling giants: Groundforce and Menzies.

As mentioned, Groundforce workers will stagger strike slots to maximise disruption, from 5 to 7am, from 11am to 5pm and from 10pm to midnight.

But Menzies staff are planning full 24-hour walkouts, covering the peak of the Easter break.

The confirmed dates are April 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

‘Double Strike’ days—specifically Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6)—are being flagged by aviation experts as ‘critical days’ where the overlap of both companies’ actions could bring things to a crawl.

Advice from our Travel Editor

If your flights are booked, don’t cancel, and don’t panic.

But do prepare.

• Hand luggage only: pack light and ditch the check-in suitcase.

  This means you can bypass the baggage handlers (and any problems that might arise there).



• Check your insurance: review your policy.

  ‘Industrial Action’ is often an excluded event if the policy was purchased after the strike was publicly announced (which was on or around March 21, 2026).



• Monitor the situation: keep up to date with news from local Spanish outlets and check for updates on your airline app.

  EasyJet and Ryanair are sharing real-time updates on theirs.



• Allow more time: arrive earlier than usual at the airport on either side of your journey.

  Three hours before your flight departs is a good idea.

A final word of advice: British passport holders should allow even more time when travelling this Easter because of the EU’s new biometric entry and exit checks which roll out in full on April 10.

All travellers from the UK and other non-EU countries must be photographed and fingerprinted at EU airports and border points under the new entry and exit system (EES) when it becomes fully operational next week.

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta, the travel agent and tour operator association, said: ‘What we have said to customers is that, because of the checks, you might need to prepare for delays with extra water and snacks.’
Travellers have already reported queues of up to two hours at passport control since EES started rolling out in some European countries late last year.

But airline groups have warned that these waits could double to four hours as holiday traffic increases over Easter and into the peak summer season.