Spain Airport Strikes Begin

Air traffic controllers at nine Spanish airports walked out at 00:00 on Friday, April 17, but government minimum-service orders are keeping towers open. (transportes.gob.es) Spain’s Transport Ministry said the indefinite strike covers 104 workers employed by private tower operator Saerco at Jerez, A Coruña, Madrid-Cuatro Vientos, Sevilla, Vigo, El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma. (transportes.gob.es) The unions behind the strike, the Unión Sindical de Controladores Aéreos and Comisiones Obreras, said they filed notice on April 6 and accuse Saerco of cutting staff, overloading schedules, cancelling approved vacations and changing shifts with little notice. (usca.es) The dispute centers on Spain’s privatized control towers, where private contractors rather than the state-run provider handle local air traffic at some regional airports. The unions said the conflict is tied to staffing and fatigue at those Saerco-run towers, not to Spain’s whole airport network. (usca.es) That distinction matters for travelers because the airports in the strike include key Canary Islands gateways and regional mainland airports, but not Madrid-Barajas or Barcelona-El Prat. Europa Press reports the walkout began Friday at the nine airports Saerco currently manages. (capital.es) On Friday morning, union sources told EFE that the strike had been neutralized at Lanzarote and Fuerteventura after minimum services were set at 100% of staff there. That means disruption is more likely to show up as delays and schedule changes than as a full shutdown. (diariodefuerteventura.com) The ministry’s resolution says emergency, state and security flights must be protected, and it set minimum staffing because air traffic control is considered an essential public service. Saerco asked the ministry to impose those minimum services on April 14. (transportes.gob.es) The unions said they sought mediation before calling the strike and want larger staffing levels, protected rest periods and clearer scheduling rules. For passengers on Friday, the practical advice is still the same: check the operating carrier, not just the airport departure board. (usca.es)