Travel nightmare for Brits as Spanish and French airport workers strike

Brits heading for Spain are facing more travel woes as air traffic controllers from 16 Spanish airports plan strike action as French workers walk out.

Across several days in January and February the aviation pros will walk out in Spain after pay negotiations fell apart.

The industrial action announcement came on the same day that French airport workers went on strike, causing a number of cancellations.

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The dispute in France is over a planned raise of the retirement age from 62 to 64 in the country.

One in five flights to and from Paris’ Orly airport are set to be cancelled today due to the walk-outs.

An easyJet spokesperson said: "We’ve been advised that there will be national strikes taking place in France on Wednesday 18 January from 7pm to Friday 20 January to 7am that is likely to affect transport services including air and rail travel.

“If you are due to travel to or from France during this period please check the status of your flight before you leave for the airport.”

In Spain the USCA and CCOO unions have decided to call a strike of air traffic controllers in 16 Spanish airports where the control towers are privatised.

The airports affected are Ibiza, A Coruña, Alicante-Elche, Castellón, Cuatro Vientos, El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Jerez, Lanzarote, La Palma, Lleida, Murcia, Sabadell , Seville, Valencia and Vigo.

The strikes will take place on January 30 and February 6, 13, 20 and 27.

The unions have said "the system cannot function based on the efforts of a fatigued workforce and with constant cuts in rights consolidated in the past".

There has been a fair deal of disruption in the Spanish aviation industry over the past few months.

Workers affiliated to CCOO had planned to strike on December 22, 23, 30 and 31 and on January 5 and January 6 at a number of airports across Spain.

They had demanded a bonus that was suspended during the Covid pandemic, threatening industrial action involving as many as 10,000 workers.

The strike was called off just a few days before they were due to start after the union reached an agreement with the Ministry of Transport.

Ryanair's CEO Michel O'Leary warned holidaymakers that this summer could be as chaotic as last year.

He claimed the Ukraine war, ongoing strikes and record flight sales could result in a hectic environment.

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