Ryanair Flights at Risk as Spain Ground Staff Strike Looms

International

Travelers flying with Ryanair in Spain during the August holiday weekend should brace for possible disruption.

Ground staff from Azul Handling, the company providing services to Ryanair at Spanish airports, have announced a three-day strike on August 15, 16, and 17, potentially affecting thousands of flights nationwide.

The strike, called by the UGT union with support from CGT, will impact all Azul Handling bases, including major airports such as Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Seville, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife South. Work stoppages are planned in three peak travel windows each day:

05:00–09:00
12:00–15:00
21:00–23:59

If no agreement is reached during Wednesday’s mediation meeting at SIMA, the union warns that strikes will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until December 31, 2025.

Will your flight be affected? Ryanair has stated that it does not expect major disruptions, but ground services are crucial for normal operations. Without staff to load baggage, refuel aircraft, and manage boarding, delays and cancellations remain possible. Passengers are advised to check flight status in advance and prepare for potential changes.

Are you entitled to compensation? In many cases, yes. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers can claim compensation for delays or cancellations. However, eligibility depends on whether the strike is considered an “extraordinary circumstance.”

The European Court of Justice has previously ruled that strikes by subcontracted staff, such as Azul Handling, do not always exempt airlines from paying compensation, since they are not entirely beyond the airline’s control.

For Ryanair passengers, this means that claims for compensation may be valid if the strike causes significant disruption.