Airports Affected By Strike Action

THE end of the festive season is marred by a strike which will impact thousands of Iberia passengers. Will it affect your travel plans?

On January 5, 6, 7, and 8, a strike by the Iberia handling service (Iberia Airport Service), instigated by the CCOO, UGT, and USO unions, has cast uncertainty over many travellers.

This industrial action is set to cancel 444 flights operated by Iberia, Iberia Express, and Air Nostrum, throwing a spanner in the works of holidaymakers and those returning from Christmas vacations in Spain.

Strike Impact And Affected Flights

The strikes aim to prompt the resolution of a labour dispute linked to the loss of handling licences at major Spanish airports.

This will affect 45,641 travellers who have already bought tickets. Specifically, 270 flights from Iberia, 64 from Iberia Express, and 110 from Air Nostrum will be cancelled.

Additionally, a separate strike by the UGT union at the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport’s platform control towers, from December 31 to January 7, compounds the disruption.

Despite reduced impact due to lower traffic and ‘excessive’ minimum services, the ripple effect is significant.

Airports Affected By The Iberia Strike

The Iberia handling service strike necessitates the cancellation of 444 flights, impacting 29 airports across Spain.

• A Coruña
• Alicante
• Asturias-Oviedo
• Barcelona
• Bilbao
• Fuerteventura
• Gran Canaria
• Grenade
• Ibiza
• Jerez de la Frontera
• Lanzarote
• The Palm
• Madrid
• Melilla
• Minorca
• Murcia
• Malaga
• Palma de Mallorca
• Pamplona
• San Sebastian
• Santa Cruz de La Palma
• Santander
• Santiago de Compostela
• Sevilla
• Tenerife North
• Tenerife South
• Valencia
• Vigo

Options For Affected Passengers

Iberia is offering its customers options to change flight dates or request refunds. The airline plans to operate 836 flights, 76 per cent of the total 1,106 scheduled.

This includes almost all long-haul flights (including Level’s). Of the 270 Iberia flight cancellations, 51 per cent are domestic and 49 per cent are European.

Iberia Express and Air Nostrum plan to operate 88 per cent and 72 per cent of their flights, respectively.

Passengers with bookings for January 5-8 have been able to request changes or refunds from last Friday. Those with unaffected flights can also change travel dates or request vouchers.

Iberia advises passengers to check-in online and allow extra time at airports due to expected disruptions.