Thousands of baggage handlers in Spain are set to walk out on strike, potentially causing chaos for British holidaymakers.
Fiona Callingham Lifestyle writer
12:51, 11 Aug 2025
Travel experts have urged Brits to check their documents ahead of flying due to potential delays(Image: Getty)
Specialists are advising Brits to examine one crucial detail before jetting off overseas as travel disruptions are expected at several popular holiday hotspots. Industrial action by airport staff is planned across 12 Spanish airports this summer.
Over 3,000 baggage handling personnel employed by Azul Handling, which operates Ryanair services, are set to down tools at some of Spain’s most frequented airports from August 15. The impacted airports encompass Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Alicante, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife South, Girona, Lanzarote and Santiago de Compostela.
The strikes are timetabled for August 15, 16 and 17 across three periods – 5am to 9am, 12pm to 3pm and 9pm to 11.59pm. The walkouts will subsequently persist every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the remainder of the year.
Trade union representatives state the action stems from substandard working environments and breaches of employment rights. The upheaval coincides with the height of the summer break period and may impact thousands of British holidaymakers.
Given these circumstances, specialists from Forum Insurance have urged travellers to scrutinise their travel insurance policy terms “carefully”. Niraj Mamtora, director at Forum Insurance, explained: “Standard travel insurance policies often exclude airspace disruptions, so you should never assume that you’re covered for events like strikes, airport closures or air traffic control outages.”
You will want to ensure your insurance policy includes coverage for “travel disruption”. He said: “To protect yourself, look for a policy that offers ‘travel disruption’ or ‘airspace closure’ as an optional extra or higher-tier feature.
“Travel disruption insurance can cover you if your flight is cancelled or delayed due to strikes or airspace closures, and may reimburse you for unused travel and accommodation, enforced stays abroad, or extra expenses if you’re stranded and no suitable alternative transport is available for more than 24 hours.
“Even when the disruption is caused by ground staff, such as baggage handlers, it can still affect flights and fall under certain travel disruption or airspace closure clauses, depending on the policy wording.
“Always check your policy wording carefully. Some insurers require that the disruption be unexpected and not known at the time you book or buy your policy. If you travel against official advice, or if the event was foreseeable, you may not be covered.”
Should you have already purchased your insurance without this type of coverage, you ought to get in touch with your airline or travel company straight away. He added: “If your policy doesn’t include this, contact your airline or travel provider directly.
“Airlines are often obliged to offer rebooking, refunds, or care such as meals and accommodation. Package holiday providers may also be responsible for rearranging your travel or offering compensation.
“For future trips, consider adding ‘travel disruption’ or ‘airspace closure’ cover as an optional extra. It’s a small investment that can save you significant stress and cost if the unexpected happens again.”
In a statement to the Daily Mail, the unions said: “UGT regrets having to go to these extremes and all the damages that may occur, for which the direct responsibility will be solely and exclusively the company and its reckless action with the workforce.”
And a spokesperson for Ryanair told The Independent: “Ryanair does not expect any disruption to our operation as a result of these third-party handling strikes in Spain.”