Spain’s Air Traffic Control Strike Begins: What To Know If Your Flight Is Delayed

Friday, April 17 marks nan first time of Spain’s indefinite aerial postulation power strike, group to impact 14 airports pinch SAERCO-managed towers crossed nan country. The strike, which was announced by nan Union of Air Traffic Controllers (USCA) and Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), was put into spot aft nan unions grounded to scope an statement astir moving conditions pinch administrators.

Possible delays and cancellations successful 14 airports crossed nan country

For travellers, nan onslaught signals a anticipation of delays successful apical vacation destinations, including various airports connected nan Canary Islands, conscionable up of highest season. Air postulation power strikes person nan imaginable to beryllium nan astir disruptive type of strike, affecting each airlines successful nan selected airports.

Travellers heading to nan affected airports should scheme for delays, precocious craft rotations, missed connections and short-notice timetable changes. While for nan astir part, full cancellations are not a superior concern, nan onslaught has nan imaginable to origin late takeoffs from erstwhile locations, hold-ups, lengthy waits, and departures being rearranged and rescheduled.

The affected airports include:

• Lanzarote, Canary Islands
• Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
• La Palma, Canary Islands
• El Hierro, Canary Islands
• La Gomera, Canary Islands
• Sevilla, Andalucia
• Jerez (Cadiz), Andalucia
• Cuatro Vientos, Madrid
• Vigo, Galicia
• A Coruña
• Castellón-Costa Azahar, Valencia
• Burgos
• Huesca
• Ciudad Real

Despite nan strike, aerial postulation power is considered an basal service, meaning that Spanish authorities tin enforce minimum work levels. This reduces nan probability of complete cancellations. Even still, travellers readying a vacation to immoderate of nan affected airports should take delays into account erstwhile booking their travel and erstwhile heading to nan airport.

What authorities do I person if my formation is delayed aliases cancelled?

Airlines are still nether nan responsibility to supply a work of attraction to passengers, sloppy of outer factors. If your formation is delayed, airlines must supply meals and refreshments (depending connected nan hold clip and nan region of nan flight), access to communication, and edifice and transport if passengers are stranded overnight.

If flights are cancelled, passengers person a correct to refund aliases rebooking options.

Airlines besides person an responsibility to keep passengers informed astir delays, cancellations, and what options travellers person should nan onslaught origin important disruptions.

However, since aerial postulation power strikes are considered “extraordinary circumstances,” airlines whitethorn not beryllium passengers compensation, moreover for agelong delays.

What has caused nan strike?

The onslaught has been announced pursuing long-standing tensions betwixt aerial postulation power workers and administrative officials. The workers declare unfair moving conditions, including an abundance of last-minute changes, on-call shifts, and nan disregarding of mandatory holidays. Additionally, workers declare that attempts to meet and resoluteness issues person been many times postponed aliases cancelled.

The onslaught is indefinite, perchance causing short-term aliases semipermanent instability for travellers until nan unions are capable to scope an statement pinch their bosses. Their demands see expanding nan number of workers connected shifts, a definitive extremity to on-call shifts and last-minute changes, a guarantee of mandatory holidays, and moving conditions compatible pinch operational information and master dignity.