British travellers heading to Spain are being warned of the possibility of “endless” delays after staff at the biggest airport there go on strike. Holidaymakers have bee advised to get to the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport early as queues are expected to grow. Getting to the venue early may assist with avoiding missing flights and further disappointment, according to The Sun.
Video released onto social media has shown the staggering effect of airport chaos after the Trablisa company began industrial action amid a dispute over working conditions, and long queues are already being reported at its terminals, with lines for as far as the eye can see.
As per the sun, at 9am local time, the wait to get through security was said to be over an hour-and-a-half, which was substantially longer than times clocked on the previous Sunday.
State-owned airport authority AENA tweeted: “Due to the strike called by Trablisa security staff at Madrid-Barajas Airport, security check times may be longer than usual.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
One user posted on social media: “When I talk about kilometre-long queues to get through security checks at Terminal 4, I’m not exaggerating.”
The strike is being undertaken by passenger control staff, with around 800 personnel employed at the airport.
Representatives said their work is at saturation level and they want pay rises and specific compensation for the job they do, as per The Sun.
Madrid strike committee spokesperson Alejandro Corredera Arriaga explained the volume of work at Barajas “far exceeds” that at other Spanish airports. The strike crisis is not the only issue holiday-makers face in Spain at the moment.
Torrential rain has had a deterimental impact on some Spanish hot spots that are popular with tourists. Substantial flash floods tore through the streets of Barcelona province, leading to mass panic. As a result of the staggering downpours, many properties were left without power.
Back at the airport, another passenger tweeted on X: “There was a detour to take the bus to the airport, and they changed the stop. I arrive at Barajas, and there is a three-block queue for security control due to a strike.”