Spain: Ryanair strike leads to the cancellation of around 50 flights

For Thursday until 8:00 p.m., 54 flights were canceled to or from Spain, according to the USO union, and more than 300 left or arrived late.

The cancellations are due, according to the union, "to the lack of information concerning the minimum service organized by the company".

The latter had not brought together full crews, despite the minimum service imposed by the Ministry of Transport of up to 82% of flights to certain destinations, in order to combine "the right to strike" with the "interest travellers".

The social movement, aimed at demanding better working conditions for the 1,900 cabin crew in Spain, began at the end of last week and could last until July 2.

Between June 24 and 26, in full tourist recovery, 129 flights had been canceled in Spain.

Ryanair prides itself on being the company that carries the most passengers in the Spanish market, serving "over 650 routes" from the 27 airports where it operates in the country.

Travelers affected by the strike at Ryanair wait to be able to change their ticket, June 30, 2022 at Barcelona airport LLUIS GENE AFP

Last week, the first part of the strike also involved company employees in other European countries such as Portugal, Belgium, Italy and France.

They demanded respect for labor law and an increase in wages, while the Irish company should record better activity this summer than in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Ryanair, however, these are only "minor" disruptions, according to a company spokesperson contacted Thursday, arguing that "less than 3%" of flights were affected by the social movement.

"However, this is a matter of concern and the unions have deliberately undermined the Ministry of Transport's minimum service implementation by instructing crews not to report on the affected flights," the company said.

Travelers affected by the strike at Ryanair wait to be able to change their ticket, June 30, 2022 at Barcelona airport LLUIS GENE AFP

From Friday, the Irish company's staff strike will coincide with that of employees of another low-cost airline, easyJet, where nearly 450 hostesses and stewards are called to walk off the 1, 2, 3, 15, 16 , 17, 29, 30 and 31 July to align their working conditions with the rest of their cabin crew colleagues in Europe.

© 2022 AFP