Ground-handling firm Azul Handling – Ryanair’s main partner in Spain – has confirmed rolling walk-outs every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 31 December. The stoppages, held in three four-hour blocks a day, hit Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona-El Prat, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Tenerife Sur, coinciding with the busiest travel window since 2019.
Spain’s minimum-service decree obliges 57–87 percent of flights to operate, yet passengers are already reporting two-hour check-in lines and bags left behind. Ryanair is urging travellers to use cabin baggage only, while airport operator Aena has redeployed office staff to luggage belts.
![Rolling Airport Strikes Threaten Christmas Flights at Six Major Spanish Hubs]()
If you do have to travel during this period, make sure last-minute chaos doesn’t extend to your paperwork. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) lets travellers confirm entry requirements, renew passports, and arrange any necessary visas or transit documents entirely online, so you can focus on navigating strikes rather than bureaucracy.
The strikes compound wider European industrial action affecting London-Luton, Paris-CDG and several Italian airports, raising the prospect of network-wide knock-on delays. Spain’s Transport Ministry says 5.6 million seats are scheduled between 20 and 31 December; any escalation could derail holiday travel and business-critical freight.
Mobility teams should build extra buffer time into itineraries, encourage hand-luggage-only policies, and prepare to reroute travellers via secondary airports such as Zaragoza. Duty-of-care programmes must include real-time messaging and contingency accommodation budgets in case of missed connections.
Spain’s minimum-service decree obliges 57–87 percent of flights to operate, yet passengers are already reporting two-hour check-in lines and bags left behind. Ryanair is urging travellers to use cabin baggage only, while airport operator Aena has redeployed office staff to luggage belts.
If you do have to travel during this period, make sure last-minute chaos doesn’t extend to your paperwork. VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) lets travellers confirm entry requirements, renew passports, and arrange any necessary visas or transit documents entirely online, so you can focus on navigating strikes rather than bureaucracy.
The strikes compound wider European industrial action affecting London-Luton, Paris-CDG and several Italian airports, raising the prospect of network-wide knock-on delays. Spain’s Transport Ministry says 5.6 million seats are scheduled between 20 and 31 December; any escalation could derail holiday travel and business-critical freight.
Mobility teams should build extra buffer time into itineraries, encourage hand-luggage-only policies, and prepare to reroute travellers via secondary airports such as Zaragoza. Duty-of-care programmes must include real-time messaging and contingency accommodation budgets in case of missed connections.
