Spain flights face disruption as major UK airport workers announce strike

You’ve booked a bit of winter sun from Yorkshire, but the people who guide the planes in and search your bags have announced they’re walking out. Nearly 130 Leeds Bradford staff will strike from October 16, though the airport insists it still expects near-normal operations.

Nearly 130 workers will strike for almost two days 

Air traffic control workers, security officers, customer service staff and cleaners at Leeds Bradford Airport will walk out from Friday October 16 to Sunday October 18 in a row over pay. Hourly-paid staff will stop work at 3am on Friday and return at 6am on Sunday. Air traffic control workers will join them from 6am on Friday, finishing at the same time.

The Unite union, which represents the strikers, said the airport’s offer doesn’t go far enough to fix a lack of pay parity. Its members have just finished a four-year pay deal and some now earn less than people doing the same jobs at other airports, with talks dragging on since December 2025.

The union says the airport will shut, the airport says it won’t 

Unite said flights can’t take off or land without air traffic control and that nobody can depart or arrive without passport control, so in its view the airport would effectively shut down. However, the airport said it has made a fair and responsible offer that’s well above inflation and expects to run near-normal operations throughout the strike. Travellers are therefore still questioning whether their flights will be going ahead or not. 

The airport is controlled by Spanish airport operator Aena, which holds a 51 per cent stake in the group that owns it.

What it means for Málaga, Alicante and Almería flights 

Jet2 flies from Leeds Bradford to Málaga, Alicante and Almería, and the airline’s website is still showing fares for Málaga and Alicante flights on both Friday October 16 and Sunday October 18 at the time of writing.  

The airport is also already losing easyJet, which leaves Leeds Bradford completely in January 2027. 

No cancellations had been confirmed in the reports we’ve seen. However, if a flight is cancelled, airlines flying from the UK must offer passengers a refund or an alternative flight. 

So if you’re booked to fly on Friday October 16 or Sunday October 18, check your flight status with Jet2 before leaving for the airport, and keep an eye out for updates from Leeds Bradford too.