Passengers heading to Spain in April face disruption and delay after Spanish transport unions voted to strike for four days over the Easter holidays. Members of the CCOO and USO unions, which represent 65% of airport workers, will walk out on April 12, 13, 16 and 17 in mainland Spain and the Balearics. The action has been timed to cause maximum disruption during the holiday period.

At Tenerife’s Reina Sofia airport, used by charter flights from the UK, unions have confirmed three days of strikes, starting on April 12 — up to 10,000 passengers could be stranded by the action in the Canaries alone.

The strikers are demanding new terms guaranteeing working conditions and pay at the 47 Spanish airports, but Aena, which manages the country’s airports, said that although the unions were adamant the strikes would go ahead, they had not yet acquired the necessary authority from the government.

British Airways noted that a planned strike last May was cancelled at the last minute. “It’s still a long time until Easter,” said BA. “But we will liaise with Iberia, which manages our schedules in Spain, and put contingency plans in place if the need arises. Passengers travelling to Spain over the Easter period should keep an eye on our website for updates.”

Samantha Day, at EasyJet, which flies to 10 Spanish airports, said: “As soon as the impact of the strike becomes clear, we will ensure our passengers are looked after and kept informed.”

James Fremantle, of the Air Transport Users Council, warned that passengers stranded by strikes would not be entitled to compensation under EC regulations. “However, airlines will still be obliged to provide meals and hotels if flights are cancelled,” he said. “Ryanair passengers are likely to suffer most if the strike goes ahead, because the airline flies to more remote airports with fewer facilities for stranded passengers.”

Chris Haslam

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