Holiday chaos as Spanish airports face strikes during busy Easter getaway period

Passengers reported bottlenecks across the departure halls(Image: Joaquin Ossorio-Castillo via Getty Images)

Irish holidaymakers have faced long queues and early‑morning disruption following strikes at one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations.

Strikes by ground‑handling staff entered their second day at Palma Airport, coinciding with the busy Easter getaway period. Passengers reported bottlenecks across the departure halls, with airport sources confirming that by midday on Tuesday (March 31), 12 flights had been delayed.

The walkout, called by the CCOO, UGT and USO unions, involves Groundforce employees and has been declared indefinite. Staff are staging stoppages in three daily windows, from 5-7am, 11am-5pm and 10pm-midnight, affecting all 12 airports where the company operates, including Palma.

Travellers had already been warned to prepare for delays, with the industrial action coinciding with the first major test of the EU's new Entry/Exit system, introduced late last year. Airport authorities expect around 800,000 passengers to pass through Palma over the Easter period, surpassing last year's figures.