Unions warn that handling strikes at Barcelona airport this weekend will be 'very significant'

Unions warn that the impact of the two handling strikes at Barcelona airport will have a “very significant impact” on passengers on the forthcoming weekend.

The weekend surrounding the August 15 bank holiday is usually the weekend with the most flights of the year.

Both sides of the dispute are “entrenched,” and union sources say there is still no meeting scheduled this week.

If the mobilization goes ahead, passengers may encounter incidents, delays or cancellations.

“The luggage, the boarding, the check-in... everything is contracted by the handling service, which works to ensure that everything goes well from the moment the passenger arrives at the airport until he collects his suitcase,” said Josep Ramírez, head of the UGT union for the airline sector.

One of the two stoppages this weekend will be the partial strike of the Ryanair ground service staff, Azul Handling, which have strike action days set for August 15, 16, and 17, and will be repeated on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays until December 31.

On August 16 and 17, the workers of the Menzies group, which provides ground service to airlines such as Emirates, British Airways, Latam, Turkish Airlines and Norwegian, are also called to strike.

In this case, the protest will last 24 hours, and will be repeated on the three weekends in August.