Strikes at Spanish Airports to Affect Ryanair Flights from 15 August to 31 December

A series of strikes targeting Ryanair’s ground handling partner Azul Handling is set to affect operations at major Spanish airports from 15 August until the end of December 2025. The strikes, organised by the General Union of Workers UGT, are a reaction to what staff describe as unfair treatment and a steady decline in working conditions at the airports. Work stoppages will occur during specific high-traffic time slots, raising concerns for passengers flying in and out of Spain’s main travel gateways.

The strike action will affect several major airports in Spain. The first disruptions are scheduled to begin on 15 August and will follow a fixed weekly pattern through the end of December.

Each strike day will include the following time slots:

• 05:00 to 09:00
• 12:00 to 15:00
• 21:00 to 23:59

The affected airports include:

• Madrid
• Barcelona
• Seville
• Malaga
• Alicante
• Palma de Mallorca
• Ibiza
• Girona
• Tenerife South
• Lanzarote
• Santiago de Compostela

Strikes will occur every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Additional strike days are confirmed for selected weekends in September, October, November, and during December holiday periods.

Travellers might find their plans upended, whether flying within Spain or heading abroad, particularly if their flights fall into the busiest parts of the day. Travellers should brace for hold-ups and last-minute flight changes, especially on Ryanair routes, since Azul Handling, the group at the heart of the strike, is responsible for their on the ground operations. Destinations in the Balearic and Canary Islands are of particular concern given their popularity among tourists and reliance on Ryanair’s operations in those regions.

If you're flying through one of the airports on strike days, keep an eye on your flight updates and try not to plan any connections that leave you with little time to spare. Ryanair says the strikes won’t seriously affect their flights, but with walkouts happening again and again over months, travellers could still see changes in flight times. It’s a good idea to get travel insurance that includes strikes and to keep your plans loose in case things shift unexpectedly.

These strikes pull back the curtain on bigger issues behind the scenes at airports and show how a staff dispute in one area can ripple out and mess with travel plans far beyond the terminal. No matter if you're chasing the sun or rushing to a meeting, it's best to keep your schedule loose and expect hold-ups if your flight lands in one of Spain’s crowded airports. If you're flying through Spain soon, planning ahead and staying in the loop could save you from a major travel headache.