Unions representing workers who provide wheelchair and reduced-mobility assistance at Palma de Mallorca Airport launched an overtime ban on 5 May and warned that full strike action could follow if staffing levels and short-term contracts are not improved. The dispute comes weeks before the Balearic Islands’ peak tourist season, when the airport handles more than 30 million passengers. According to local outlet *Última Hora*, the service provider—contracted by airport operator Aena—relies on temporary staff whose numbers have not kept pace with post-pandemic demand. Workers claim they are routinely asked to cover double shifts, leaving vulnerable passengers waiting up to 45 minutes for assistance and exposing Aena to potential EU Regulation 1107/2006 penalties for failing to guarantee equal access. If negotiations fail and a strike is called, delays could cascade across boarding, disembarkation and transit processes, particularly for tour operators specialising in senior and inclusive travel. Spanish labour law obliges the government to impose minimum service levels, but past walkouts at Barcelona and Madrid show even reduced protests can force airlines to re-assign gates and reschedule slots. Travel managers moving staff to Palma for seasonal projects should flag the risk in duty-of-care briefings and consider booking meet-and-assist services in advance. Aena says flights are currently operating normally and that a mediation meeting with unions is scheduled for 10 May.
Source: Euro Weekly News
