H olidaymakers planning to fly with Ryanair to or from Spain are bracing for significant disruption as baggage handlers employed by Azul Handling, the airline’s ground operations subsidiary, prepare to launch a series of strikes starting next Friday 15 August.
The industrial action, announced by the General Union of Workers (UGT) and supported by the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), is set to affect twelve major Spanish airports, including Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Seville, Valencia, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote, and Santiago de Compostela.
The strikes, scheduled to occur every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 31 December 2025, are expected to cause delays and cancellations, particularly during peak travel periods such as the August bank holiday and the Christmas getaway.
The dispute centres on what unions describe as Azul Handling’s “strategy of precariousness and pressure” on its workforce, which they claim violates fundamental labour rights. José Manuel Pérez Grande, federal secretary of the FeSMC-UGT Air Union, has been a vocal critic, accusing the company of imposing coercive overtime policies, issuing disproportionate penalties, such as suspensions of up to 36 days without pay for refusing extra hours, and failing to create stable jobs or consolidate working hours for part-time staff.
The unions also allege that Azul Handling has ignored rulings from the Joint Committee of the Sectoral Agreement and restricted workers’ rights to medical leave and work-life balance accommodations. In response, the unions have requested mediation through the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA), but they place full responsibility for the disruptions on Azul Handling’s alleged labour practices.
Azul Handling was established by Ryanair in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that allowed the airline to replace its existing third-party baggage handling contractors across Spain with a wholly owned subsidiary. This restructuring was part of Ryanair’s strategy to streamline operations and reduce costs amid the unprecedented downturn in air travel. By bringing ground handling in-house, Ryanair aimed to exert greater control over its operations, but the move has been contentious, with unions arguing it has led to deteriorating working conditions.
Previous strikes in 2022, also involving Azul Handling, were called off after the Transport Ministry imposed “abusive” minimum service requirements, which unions claimed undermined their right to strike. This history of tension has resurfaced, with the current action threatening to be one of the most prolonged in Ryanair’s Spanish operations.
On the management side, Darrell Hughes, Ryanair’s head of people, has sought to downplay the impact of the strikes. In statements to the press, Hughes has reiterated Ryanair’s position that it “does not expect any disruption” to its operations, citing the involvement of a third-party handler and the legal requirement for workers to maintain a minimum service level. However, this optimism has been met with scepticism by union activists who ground services such as baggage handling, aircraft refuelling, and boarding management are critical to maintaining Ryanair’s tight flight schedules. The airline has already begun cancelling flights to destinations such as Alicante, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife South, with passengers receiving notifications of itinerary changes and options for refunds or alternative flights.
The timing of the strikes is particularly challenging, coinciding with Spain’s peak tourism season. The industrial action could disrupt travel plans for thousands, with potential delays in baggage handling leading to longer wait times and cascading effects on flight schedules. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers affected by delays exceeding three hours or cancellations may be entitled to compensation, unless the disruptions are deemed “extraordinary circumstances.” Ryanair’s past response to similar disputes, including temporarily banning hold luggage to mitigate baggage handling bottlenecks, suggests the airline may take drastic measures to maintain operations.
As the 15 August start date approaches, travellers are advised to check their flight status regularly and arrive early at airports to account for potential delays. The unions’ determination to continue the strikes until the end of the year, coupled with Ryanair’s insistence that operations will remain unaffected, sets the stage for a protracted conflict. With mediation talks pending and no immediate resolution in sight, the coming months could prove turbulent for both Ryanair and its passengers in Spain.
