Ryanair strike to disrupt five Canary Islands Airports from August 15th
Holidaymakers flying to and from the Canary Islands this summer could face delays and disruptions as nearly 3,000 ground-handling staff across Spain, including 500 workers in the Canary Islands, prepare to go on indefinite strike.
The strike covers all ground-handling operations, including check-in, boarding, baggage loading and unloading, and flight coordination. Although Ryanair claims that it does not expect its operations in Spain to be affected, UGT calls this statement “irresponsible,” warning that disruption is likely, especially during the busiest period of the year for Canarian airports.
The strike will impact five of the Canary Islands’ major airports:
- Fuerteventura (FUE)
- Gran Canaria (LPA)
- Lanzarote (ACE)
- Tenerife North (TFN)
- Tenerife South (TFS)
The strike will begin on Friday 15th August, a national holiday in Spain, and continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 31st December 2025.
On strike days, walkouts will occur during three daily time slots:
- Early morning: 05:00–09:00
- Midday: 12:00–15:00
- Late evening: 21:00–23:59
These times typically coincide with high passenger volumes, raising the risk of flight delays, long queues, and potential cancellations, particularly at the height of the tourist season.
Ryanair Response: "No Operational Impact"
Ryanair has insisted that the strike will have no effect on its operations in Spain. However, UGT has dismissed this claim as “irresponsible”, warning that Ryanair has a history of pressuring staff to work through strikes and ignoring minimum service requirements.
“We’ve seen this before. They’ll try to keep flights running by any means necessary,” Regueiro warned. “We expect unauthorised schedule changes, pressure tactics, and possible breaches of labour protections.”
What’s the Strike About?
UGT is calling the strike in protest against what it calls the "increasing deterioration" of working conditions at Azul Handling. According to José Antonio Regueiro, UGT's head of labour action in the aviation sector, the conflict centres on:
- Unstable employment contracts
- Abuse of “complementary hours”, which are legally voluntary but reportedly being forced upon staff
- Systematic breaches of the national collective labour agreement
“Many part-time workers are regularly working well over 70% of a full-time schedule, sometimes for years, yet they’re still stuck on 50% contracts,” Regueiro said.
“Those on 90% hours aren’t upgraded to full-time either. And when workers refuse to do extra hours, they face penalties of up to 36 days without pay.”
The union also alleges that Azul Handling absorbs negotiated wage increases through other bonuses or allowances, denying workers real pay rises in breach of national agreements.
Impact on Canary Islands Travel
The strike comes during one of the busiest periods for Canary Islands tourism. Airports such as Tenerife South and Lanzarote routinely handle over one million passengers in August, and 2025 is already on track to break tourist arrival records.
Travellers are advised to monitor their flight status closely and allow extra time at the airport, particularly on strike days.
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