UK tourists should be prepared for travel disruption over Easter as unions get ready for strike action in Spain. The UGT union has called strike action for ground handling staff at multiple Spanish airports.

The industrial action is set to affect roughly 3,000 workers employed by the Menzies Group (Menzies Aviation Ibérica and Menzies Ground Services). The dates when disruption is set to occur are March 28 and 29, and April 2-6 - and with more than 19 million Brits travelling to Spain in 2025, many thousands of UK travellers are set to be affected.

The strike announcement follows a meeting on Friday at the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA), where the union and company were unable to broker a deal to prevent the action, according to El Diario Cantabria. The Menzies Group, owned by Kuwait's Agility Group, delivers ramp and passenger operations at airports including Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife (South and North).

Control tower, terminal and passenger boarding area of ​​Palma de Mallorca Airport - a view from the airport runway(Image: Jose A. Bernat Bacete via Getty Images)

Groundforce will also launch an indefinite strike from March 27, OK Diario reports. The firm is responsible for ground handling operations for many aircraft between landing and departure.

Menzies Services manages ramp and passenger operations at airports, including check-in and boarding, baggage handling, refuelling, cleaning, and transportation. The airports anticipated to be most impacted by the industrial action are six major airports: Madrid-Barajas, Malaga-Costa del Sol, Alicante-Elche, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona-El Prat, and Seville.

Moreover, these two firms also handle operations at Bilbao, Zaragoza, Alicante, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Murcia, Santiago de Compostela, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, and Tenerife South airports. As a result, the walkout could hold up some flights on those dates.

The unions claim the catalyst for the strike at the two firms is over rights and working conditions for staff. Spanish media say the government is expected to impose the minimum service level mandated by law for essential transport sectors, yet it is reported that these provisions will not entirely prevent delays.

The Daily Record reports that travellers could face longer queues at check-in and bag drop. The title says there could also be delays in getting luggage, with boarding and disembarkation also possibly set to be affected.