Barcelona’s El Prat airport has joined Madrid-Barajas, Málaga, Valencia, Tenerife South and seven other Spanish gateways on the list of locations hit by an escalating labour dispute between Ryanair’s ground-services contractor Azul Handling and the UGT union. Travel-trade outlet Travel & Tour World confirmed on 15 December 2025 that staggered walk-outs—running every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in three time-bands (05:00-09:00, 12:00-15:00 and 21:00-00:00)—will continue through at least 31 December.
Although limited to baggage handling and ramp operations, the stoppages have already triggered average check-in delays of 45 minutes and prompted Ryanair to ask passengers to travel with carry-on only where possible. The strikes coincide with a record 6.1 million seats scheduled on international flights to Spain over the two-week Christmas peak, posing a major headache for corporate travel managers and relocation firms moving staff before year-end.
![Holiday-season strikes by Ryanair ground-handlers threaten baggage chaos at Spain’s main airports]()
Contingency measures include:
• Aena has authorised airlines to use alternative ground-service providers where contracts allow, but capacity is thin.
• Priority-tag and fast-track services have been suspended for affected flights, eroding premium-seat value.
• Several multinationals are rerouting assignees via Lisbon or Toulouse and using high-speed rail connections into Spain to bypass the worst disruption.
Beyond December, sector observers warn that Spain’s handling sector could face a summer of unrest as unions across multiple providers seek wage increases matching the 5 % 2025 CPI. Employers with frequent fly-in fly-out staff should therefore review travel policies, build in longer connection windows and ensure travel-insurance cover for strike-related delays remains valid.
Although limited to baggage handling and ramp operations, the stoppages have already triggered average check-in delays of 45 minutes and prompted Ryanair to ask passengers to travel with carry-on only where possible. The strikes coincide with a record 6.1 million seats scheduled on international flights to Spain over the two-week Christmas peak, posing a major headache for corporate travel managers and relocation firms moving staff before year-end.
Contingency measures include:
• Aena has authorised airlines to use alternative ground-service providers where contracts allow, but capacity is thin.
• Priority-tag and fast-track services have been suspended for affected flights, eroding premium-seat value.
• Several multinationals are rerouting assignees via Lisbon or Toulouse and using high-speed rail connections into Spain to bypass the worst disruption.
Beyond December, sector observers warn that Spain’s handling sector could face a summer of unrest as unions across multiple providers seek wage increases matching the 5 % 2025 CPI. Employers with frequent fly-in fly-out staff should therefore review travel policies, build in longer connection windows and ensure travel-insurance cover for strike-related delays remains valid.
Source: Travel & Tour World
