British holidaymakers heading to Spain this August are being warned of widespread travel disruption as thousands of baggage handlers prepare to strike at airports across the country.
More than 3,000 workers at Azul Handling, a company that manages ground services for Ryanair Group airlines, are set to walk out following a dispute over working conditions and overtime. The action, led by Spain’s General Union of Workers (UGT), is expected to hit key tourist hubs including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife South, and Lanzarote.
The first wave of strikes is scheduled for 15, 16 and 17 August, falling just before the UK’s busy bank holiday weekend and the return-to-school travel period.
The walkouts will occur in three key time slots each day, 5am to 9am, 12pm to 3pm and 9pm to 11:59pm.
Following the initial disruption, strikes will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 31, 2025.
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Girona, and Santiago de Compostela are among the major airports set to be affected.
These hubs serve as major gateways for millions of British tourists travelling to Spain each year. Despite the scale of the planned action, Ryanair has downplayed the threat, stating that it does not expect its operations to be affected by what it refers to as “third-party handling strikes.”
The union, however, insists the action is necessary to challenge what it describes as exploitative working conditions, including mandatory overtime, lack of stable jobs for part-time staff, and what it calls “disproportionate penalties.”
UGT’s leadership has criticised Azul Handling’s treatment of its workforce, claiming the company ignores union demands and contributes to widespread job insecurity within the aviation sector.
For British tourists, the August bank holiday weekend, traditionally a peak time for overseas travel, falls within the strike schedule, raising concerns that delays and cancellations may disrupt long-anticipated summer breaks.
While airlines are required by EU law to assist passengers with food, accommodation, or refunds depending on the length and cause of a delay, the actual enforcement of these protections can be inconsistent, especially during widespread disruption.
Spain remains one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations, with a record-breaking 18.4 million British visitors in 2024 alone.
However, with rising anti-tourism sentiment in some areas and the looming threat of strike-induced travel chaos, travellers are advised to monitor airline updates closely and prepare for delays.