Ryanair and EasyJet strikes coincide to cause travel chaos in Spain
EasyJet cabin crew on Friday resumed strike action that coincided with a Ryanair walkout and added to the travel chaos across Europe.
Travellers hoping to go to or from Spain today were faced with two-headed strike action, as EasyJet cabin crew resumed a walkout that coincided with Ryanair's latest round of strikes. As of 1.00pm on Friday, 28 flights had been canceled and 123 delayed across Spain, according to unions representing the workers.
On Friday the majority of affected flights were Ryanair, with 22 cancellations and 90 delays, while EasyJet had 6 cancellations and 33 delays.
Cancellations
Much like Ryanair's strike action earlier in the week, the airport most affected by the industrial action has been Barcelona's El Prat, which on Friday had 12 cancellations, eight from Ryanair and four from EasyJet.
Palma airport has also been heavily affected with 13 cancellations, eight from Ryanair and two from EasyJet. EasyJet has less operative bases in Spain, so no other airports are affected by EasyJet cancellations so far today, but Ryanair strike action has caused at least two flights to be cancelled at Alicante, Ibiza, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela and Valencia airports.
Delays
As for delayed flights, Palma had the most on Friday, with 35 delays, 11 being EasyJet and 24 from Ryanair. El Prat was second, with 33 flights delayed -12 from EasyJet and 21 from Ryanair.
Alicante, an airport with very heavy Ryanair flight traffic, had 11 delays, all Ryanair, and Girona three Ryanair delays.
Ibiza also had three Ryanair flights delayed, and Madrid-Barajas 13 Ryanair flights affected. Malaga had 8 Ryanair and 10 EasyJet flights delayed, and Seville faced two delayed Ryanair flights.
A summer of strike action
The start of summer has seen strike action across different sectors across the continent. Pilots are on strike in Sweden and Denmark, railway staff have taken industrial action in England, and Heathrow Airport recently announced it was capping the number of passengers passing through the airport due to staff shortages.
READ ALSO: Airport chaos in Europe: Airlines cancel 15,000 flights in August
Travellers in Spain, however, today got a double whammy of two separate industrial disputes overlapping.
EasyJet cabin crew are protesting at the breakdown in negotiation of their collective bargaining agreement, during which unions called for an rise of 40 percent base salary, and unions USO and Sitcpla are at loggerheads with Ryanair in negotiating a new collective agreement with its workers. Union bosses say Ryanair refuses to adapt the contracts to Spanish legislation.
EasyJet industrial action will affect travel on Friday 15, Saturday 16, and Sunday 17 July, with further walkouts planned for 29, 30 and 31 July.
The latest round of Ryanair strikes end today, Friday 15th, but will resume from July 18 to 21 and from July 25 to 28.
Strike dates
Ryanair cabin crew are, as of now, scheduled to strike on 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28 of July.
EasyJet staff are, as of now, scheduled to strike on 16, 17, 29, 30 and 31 July.
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Travellers hoping to go to or from Spain today were faced with two-headed strike action, as EasyJet cabin crew resumed a walkout that coincided with Ryanair's latest round of strikes. As of 1.00pm on Friday, 28 flights had been canceled and 123 delayed across Spain, according to unions representing the workers.
On Friday the majority of affected flights were Ryanair, with 22 cancellations and 90 delays, while EasyJet had 6 cancellations and 33 delays.
Cancellations
Much like Ryanair's strike action earlier in the week, the airport most affected by the industrial action has been Barcelona's El Prat, which on Friday had 12 cancellations, eight from Ryanair and four from EasyJet.
Palma airport has also been heavily affected with 13 cancellations, eight from Ryanair and two from EasyJet. EasyJet has less operative bases in Spain, so no other airports are affected by EasyJet cancellations so far today, but Ryanair strike action has caused at least two flights to be cancelled at Alicante, Ibiza, Madrid, Santiago de Compostela and Valencia airports.
Delays
As for delayed flights, Palma had the most on Friday, with 35 delays, 11 being EasyJet and 24 from Ryanair. El Prat was second, with 33 flights delayed -12 from EasyJet and 21 from Ryanair.
Alicante, an airport with very heavy Ryanair flight traffic, had 11 delays, all Ryanair, and Girona three Ryanair delays.
Ibiza also had three Ryanair flights delayed, and Madrid-Barajas 13 Ryanair flights affected. Malaga had 8 Ryanair and 10 EasyJet flights delayed, and Seville faced two delayed Ryanair flights.
A summer of strike action
The start of summer has seen strike action across different sectors across the continent. Pilots are on strike in Sweden and Denmark, railway staff have taken industrial action in England, and Heathrow Airport recently announced it was capping the number of passengers passing through the airport due to staff shortages.
READ ALSO: Airport chaos in Europe: Airlines cancel 15,000 flights in August
Travellers in Spain, however, today got a double whammy of two separate industrial disputes overlapping.
EasyJet cabin crew are protesting at the breakdown in negotiation of their collective bargaining agreement, during which unions called for an rise of 40 percent base salary, and unions USO and Sitcpla are at loggerheads with Ryanair in negotiating a new collective agreement with its workers. Union bosses say Ryanair refuses to adapt the contracts to Spanish legislation.
EasyJet industrial action will affect travel on Friday 15, Saturday 16, and Sunday 17 July, with further walkouts planned for 29, 30 and 31 July.
The latest round of Ryanair strikes end today, Friday 15th, but will resume from July 18 to 21 and from July 25 to 28.
Strike dates
Ryanair cabin crew are, as of now, scheduled to strike on 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28 of July.
EasyJet staff are, as of now, scheduled to strike on 16, 17, 29, 30 and 31 July.
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