“Mountains of luggage” accumulated on the tarmac at major Spanish airports Monday as ground staff began an indefinite strike, disrupting travel plans for thousands during the start of the Easter holiday period. The walkout, initiated by workers at ground handling company Groundforce, immediately caused significant delays and long queues at airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, and Gran Canaria, according to union representatives and passenger reports.
The strike is scheduled to occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 5 a.m. And 7 a.m., 11 a.m. And 5 p.m., and 10 p.m. And midnight. Rubén Guallar, a union delegate at Groundforce, confirmed that Madrid and Barcelona were among the most heavily impacted locations on the first day of action. Passengers at Madrid’s Barajas Airport reported waiting up to five hours for their baggage, with images circulating on Spanish television showing extensive lines of frustrated travelers.
While Barcelona’s El Prat Airport experienced fewer immediate service disruptions, queues formed at check-in desks for Lufthansa, KLM, and Air Europa, and delays were reported for both flights and baggage handling. In Málaga, seven flights experienced delays on Monday, three exceeding one hour, including SAS and Air France departures, according to José Manuel Álvarez, head of the Air Sector in Andalusia for CCOO.
Further disruptions are anticipated throughout the week. Groundforce staff are scheduled to continue their rolling strikes at airports in Alicante, Ibiza, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Bilbao on Wednesday, April 1st. Adding to the complexity, Menzies Aviation staff are planning 24-hour stoppages on April 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th, impacting flights and services in Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, and Tenerife North.
Good Friday, April 3rd, is expected to be particularly challenging, as both Groundforce and Menzies staff will be striking simultaneously at all affected airports. This overlap could lead to substantial flight holdups, extended waits for baggage, and increased congestion at check-in counters. Menzies staff are too scheduled to strike on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, potentially prolonging the disruption into the holiday weekend.
The unions are demanding that Groundforce implement salary scales aligned with the Consumer Price Index, while Menzies staff are also seeking improvements in pay and work schedules. No negotiations between the unions and either company have been publicly announced since the strike action began.
Airport authorities are advising passengers traveling through affected airports to regularly check their flight status and arrive significantly earlier than usual, especially for international flights. They also recommend factoring in extra time for connecting flights and, where possible, traveling with only hand luggage to avoid potential baggage delays.
