Barcelona airport 'preparing' for possible strikes this summer

Barcelona airport is “preparing” itself for possible pilots’ and air controllers’ strikes that could take place this summer.

“The consequence [of the strikes] is delays in all flights that pass through the airspace,” said the facility’s director Sònia Corrochano on Monday. “We are preparing for these contingencies, trying to make the wait as good as possible,” she added, recalling that the strikes are still not a “reality.”

In the case they do take place, the airport will work particularly hard to attend families travelling with children and people with special needs.

Better working conditions

Air traffic controllers have threatened to go on strike should various demands of theirs’ not be met. One of their requests is that they receive the same amount of days off as in the rest of Europe. At the Barcelona facility, they get one day off for every eight worked, while elsewhere in Europe three is the norm.

They are waiting for an imminent response from Spain’s Ministry of Infrastructure, with whom they have been meeting recently. The purpose of these meetings has been “to open the door” to hiring more controllers at the airport, thus making it possible for working hours to match those in Europe.

“We are talking about regulating our working day, not about salaries,” said Raúl Tobaruela, spokesman for the Air Traffic Controllers Union.  

Last summer, security contollers at the Catalan capital’s airport went on strike. The consequences were obvious and frustrating for many travellers setting off on their holidays. In some cases, people ended up queuing for hours just to get through control.