Groundforce strikes at 13 Spanish airports could disrupt Easter flights

Disruption overview

Groundforce workers at 13 major Spanish airports are due to begin indefinite strike action on 30 March 2026 , with repeated stoppages every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, plus separate 24-hour walkouts from 2 April to 6 April 2026. The dispute follows a breakdown in pay and conditions talks and could bring longer queues, slower baggage handling, delays, and last-minute schedule changes during the Easter travel period. Because the disruption is being caused by airport ground staff rather than airline employees, compensation under EC 261 is usually unlikely, but airlines should still offer rebooking or refunds and provide care and assistance where needed.

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Disruption details

Groundforce employees are set to strike at major Spanish airports from 30 March 2026, the first major Easter getaway day, raising the risk of delays, cancellations, and longer waits for passengers traveling through some of the country’s busiest airports.

For passengers, this could mean a stressful start to their trip just as Easter travel picks up. The action follows a breakdown in talks over pay and working conditions, and unions UGT, CCOO, and USO have called the strikes indefinite.

Groundforce staff are due to stop work in these windows:

• Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, staff are due to strike from 5:00 am to 7:00 am.

• A second stoppage is planned from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• A third stoppage is planned from 10:00 pm to 12:00 am.

• Separate 24-hour strikes are scheduled from 2 April to 6 April 2026.

If no agreement is reached, unions say the 24-hour stoppages could be repeated regularly, including on weekends, through 31 December 2026. Management has not made a public counter-offer, which means the dispute could remain an issue well beyond the Easter holiday period.

Affected airports include Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, Alicante-Elche Airport, Valencia Airport, Ibiza Airport, Bilbao Airport, Gran Canaria Airport, Tenerife Sur Airport, Tenerife Norte Airport, Lanzarote Airport, and Fuerteventura Airport.

Together, these airports handle millions of passengers over Easter. Under Spanish minimum-service rules, most flights are expected to operate, but shortages of ramp, baggage, and boarding staff can still slow aircraft turnaround and create wider disruption across the day.

That means travelers should be ready for longer queues at check-in and security, slower baggage handling, delayed departures and arrivals, and short-notice schedule changes. Once backlogs start building on the ground, the knock-on effect can spread to later flights as well.

If your flight is canceled, you can usually choose between rebooking and a refund. Airlines must also provide meals and refreshments during long waits, and if you are delayed overnight, they should arrange accommodation and transport to it.

Because this dispute involves airport ground staff rather than airline employees, compensation under EC 261 is unlikely in most cases. Although compensation probably won’t apply here, that doesn’t mean you’re without support. If your journey is disrupted, your airline should still offer care and assistance, and if you’d like to understand your options or check whether compensation could still apply, AirHelp’s free flight checker is a simple place to start.

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