The strike action will go on ‘indefinitely’ until an agreement is reached
Jet2 has issued a warning to passengers flying to Spain over the coming days(Image: Nicholas.T.Ansell/PA Wire)
Jet2 has issued a warning to passengers travelling to Spain and the Canary Islands this week as planned strike action at major airport gets underway.
Air traffic controllers at towers run by SAERCO, a firm which operates control towers across the country, began an indefinite strike on Friday, April 17. A total of 14 airports across Spain and the Canary Islands are set to be affected.
The strike action has been called by the Union Sindical de Reguladores Aereos and Comisiones Obreras. The walkout began at midnight Friday, and has been dubbed ‘indefinite’ by travel companies.
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The ‘indefinite’ walkout is due to an ongoing dispute over staff shortages, heavy workloads and unpredictable schedules. Unions claim workers are regularly dealing with last minute shift changes, on-call duties becoming routine, cancelled annual leave and unclear rest periods.
There is currently no end date set for the strike action which means that disruption could continue until an agreement is reached.
The ongoing strike action is set to affect airports across mainland Spain and the Canary Islands(Image: Getty Images)
Now, major airline Jet2 has issued a warning on its website for passengers planning to travel to Spain over the coming days. The messages assures passengers that they will try to ‘keep disruption to a minimum’.
The Jet2 warning reads: “We wanted to let you know about strike action, supported by Saerco, a Spanish Air Traffic Control company, is due to commence on 17th April 2026, which may cause delays to flights arriving and departing Lanzarote, Fuerteventura La Palma and Jerez.
“Rest assured, we’ll try to keep any disruption to a minimum. Check-in will close 40 minutes before your scheduled departure so please arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure. We will be working hard to ensure that the impact on our flights is minimal, however, you may encounter some disruption if you are travelling during this time.”
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The message continues: “Please be prepared for possible longer than normal waits onboard your aircraft to depart. We will board all flights and close all gates for an on-time departure, this will allow us to depart as soon as we are advised we can.
“Please make sure your contact details are up to date in Manage My Booking, and if the situation changes, our team will be in touch.”
The airline concluded the message by advising customer to check its website for up-to-date information regarding the strike action.
The ongoing strike action is set to affect airports across mainland Spain and the Canary Islands(Image: Getty Images)
According to local news site Canarian Weekly, airports across the Spanish archipelago are likely to be affected, including Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera. It means the strike action will impact both inter-island travel and international flights.
It’s important to note that air traffic control strikes are classed as “extraordinary circumstances”. Which means that airlines are not usually required to pay compensation for delays or cancellations, although they must still offer booking or refunds.