17 May 2023 , 14:50
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Air travel to Spain could be thrown into chaos this summer if a proposed pilots strike goes ahead.
The Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (SEPLA) has threatened to stage a number of walk-outs as its ongoing issues with the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agency continue to bubble.
The union and its members are fighting back against a “minimum services” law that requires pilots to work 90% of scheduled flights even when they're striking.
SEPLA has said the ministry has violated workers' right to strike and that the Spanish National Court has backed up this claim.
Air Nostrum and Air Europa pilots are currently striking and have been since February, which has brought the minimum service law into focus. The legislation means 60 of the daily 80 flights the airlines operate are stilling running despite the strikes, as pilots are required to fly them.
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SEPLA said the strike action could be spread across the summer (AFP via Getty Images)In a response to the law, SEPLA is considering carrying out different strikes by members in different airlines across the summer, spreading out the impact.
SEPLA has union representation in Air Nostrum, Air Europa, Iberia, Iberia Express, Vueling, Ryanair, easyJet, Norwegian, Swiftair, Plus Ultra, Jet 2, Eurowings and Evelop.
Air traffic controllers, flight attendants and ground staff could also join the strike action, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
Air Europa workers are also considering expanding their strike to May 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, and 30, plus June 1 and 2 at all Spanish bases.
Since international air travel restarted following the coronavirus lockdowns, several groups of pilots in Spain have been pushing for an improvement in their terms.
In August last year three 72-hour walkouts were called by easyJet pilots over pay and working conditions. At the time SEPLA was demanding that working conditions for pilots are restored to what they were before the Covid pandemic.
Given how many British people travel to Spain each year, the possibility of a strike will be concerning for those with holidays booked in the country.
EasyJet pilots called three 72-hour walkouts last year (Bloomberg via Getty Images)According to Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, trips to Spain are likely to be disrupted this summer, based on the number of issues endured by passengers last year.
"The UK’s most popular foreign holiday destination is perhaps unsurprisingly one of the regions where travellers are most likely to experience disruptions to their plans, in part down to the sheer volume of flights," he recently told The Mirror.
"Between May 7 and June 6 2022, a huge 110 flights to Spain were cancelled, and travellers should prepare for a similar story this summer."
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It is worth noting that hundreds of flights take place between the UK and Spain every week, so the actual percentage chance of yours being cancelled won't, hopefully, be too high.