Canary Islands chaos – ‘significant’ airport delays

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Air traffic controllers are taking part in a 24 hour strike at four airports in Spain’s Canary Islands. Over 150 staff will take part in the industrial action at Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma and El Hierro airports.

Passengers scheduled to fly to or from one of the affected airports are advised to check with their airline before their flight.

In Spain, workers must provide a “minimum” level of service even if they are taking part in industrial action.

This means that many of the domestic flights between the islands will be protected under legislation.

Just over half of the scheduled flights between the Spanish mainland and Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are expected to run without delay.

As international flights are operated by overseas airlines, they are more likely to be affected by delays than cancellations.

However, international tourists are still advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

A meeting between the union and the employers was “unsuccessful” last week as workers said the business proposal “falls far short of their proposal”.

Strikes are also scheduled to take place every Monday during February: 6, 13, 20 and 27.

The dispute is over pay and working conditions and more strikes could be announced if it is not resolved.

Airports in mainland Spain including Seville, Vigo, Valencia, Murcia and Alicante could also be affected.

Cover staff are expected to be brought in to alleviate the situation but it is yet unknown how many flights could be cancelled.

In the UK, travellers could face delays later this week as Border Force staff are set to take part in strikes.

Some UK Border Force staff are scheduled to take part in strikes on February 1 until 7am on February 2.

Passport queues could be longer than normal although passengers are encouraged to use the e-gates.

Travellers under the age of 12 are not allowed to use the e-gates and will need to queue for an officer.

The strikes will impact several of the UK’s major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Affected airports by air traffic control strikes in Spain

• A Coruna
• Alicante
• Castellon
• El Hierro
• Fuerteventura
• Ibiza
• Jerez de la Frontera
• La Palma
• Lanzarote
• Lleida
• Madrid Cuatro-Vientos
• Murcia
• Sabadell
• Sevilla
• Valencia
• Vigo

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