Mallorca-based Air Europa has cancelled 15 flights today due to the pilots’ strike, four of them to or from Palma.
The Spanish Airline Pilots Union (Sepla) has begun the third round of strikes at the airline, which will last until July 2 after breaking a pre-agreement on wage increases.
These new stoppages are in addition to those that took place during the first week of May as well as those of the two previous weeks, which together led to the cancellation of 182 flights.
And this is just the start of what could be a complicated summer for Britons flying to the Balearics.
There is also a continuous strike action in Spain from SEPLA against Air Nostrum, a regional airline run by Iberia, which is running from Monday to Friday every day and has cancelled 20 per cent of the airline’s flights so far.
Travel chiefs are also keeping an eye on whether planned strikes by security guards at Heathrow Airport go ahead and cause disruption. The action for June 24 and 25 was postponed following an improved pay offer.
But more than 2,000 Unite members could still walk out if the latest offer is rejected by the union.
If rejected, walk-outs could go ahead on June 28 to 30, July 14 to 16, 21 to 24 and 28-31, and August 11 to 14, 18 to 20 and 24 to 27. Over 4 million travellers are at risk of their holidays being disrupted.
Earlier this month, Ryanair was forced to cancel 400 flights when French air traffic control workers walked out over pension reforms and further flash action in France is expected over the coming months.
Plus Britons face the problem of passport control and having passports stamped because of the 90-day rule and the threat of being spot-checked to show they have enough money to cover the cost of their stay.
European airports are in for another busy summer as passenger numbers globally recover to pre-pandemic levels.
Airlines have said they are ready to avoid a repeat of last year's travel chaos, after strikes and staff shortages forced them to cancel thousands of flights to avoid long queues at major airports.
But air traffic control strikes, which have caused airlines to demand protections for overflights, and walkouts by airline and airport staff have continued to disrupt flights into the key tourism season. Here is a summary of recent developments:
BRITAIN The Unite union on June 12 postponed the first summer strike at London's Heathrow airport including over 2,000 security workers after a better pay offer. Meanwhile, around 100 security officers and terminal technicians at Birmingham Airport, along with aircraft refuellers employed by Menzies, are balloting for strike action. Strikes could begin in July and would severely impact the airport's operations, according to Unite.
FRANCE Air traffic controller (ATC) strikes in France have led to delays and limited flights across the country, causing more air space congestion in Europe. Most recently, French aviation regulator asked carriers to cancel a third of their flights from the Paris-Orly airport on June 6 due to a planned ATC strike. It also asked them to reduce flights by 20% at Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes, and urged passengers to postpone trips if possible. On June 6, Ryanair said it had to cancel 400 flights due to the 36-hour strike, most of them overflights not going to France.
ITALY Several unions representing workers in the aviation sector called a nationwide 24-hour strike for June 20 over pay and working conditions. ENAC Aviation Authority said the strike would affect airport handling services, airline and airport staff, and air transport and associated companies. Flight delays and cancellations were also expected. The staff of Vueling also walked out, affecting the low-cost airline's flights.
SPAIN Pilots at Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, who had been striking every Monday and Friday since Feb. 27, went on a daily indefinite strike from June 6 amid a pay dispute. The nationwide action was ongoing as of June 20, and the airline says on its website that changes in flight schedule may apply. Air Europa pilots in Spain also started a two-week strike on June 19 amid a wage dispute. Spain has said it expects to receive more tourists in the summer of 2023 than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
SWEDEN Airport controllers at Bromma Stockholm Airport and Gothenburg's Landvetter Airport will walk out on July 3 if a new labour agreement is not reached, the Swedish Transport Workers' Union said. Workers at Stockholm's Arlanda, the country's biggest airport, will follow on July 5, including work in X-rays, goods checks and gate reception among others