Easter travel chaos feared as Spanish airport strikes disrupt Irish holidaymakers

Irish holidaymakers planning trips to Spain in the coming weeks are being warned of potential disruptions as airport staff prepare for widespread industrial action across the country.

Ground handling workers at 12 major Spanish airports are set to begin an indefinite strike from this Friday, March 27, with additional walkouts planned throughout late Mach and early April.

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The strike is expected to effect some of Spain's busiest destinations for Irish tourists including Mallorca, Malaga, Barcelona and Alicante.

The strikes are set to take place on multiple days each week, specifically Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 5am to 7am, 11am to 5pm and again from 10pm to midnight.

Baggage handlers are also expected to carry out 24-hour walkouts on March 28-29 and again on April 2-6, coinciding with the busy Easter holiday period.

It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of passengers could be impacted by the disruptions such as delays to check-in, baggage handling and boarding while some flights could face cancellations. 

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Holidaymakers from Ireland are being advised to arrive at the airport earlier than usual and check in with their airlines for updates on travelling as the airports will be especially busy at this time which is hugely popular for travellers.

If no agreement is reached, authorities have warned that wait times could stretch to several hours during peak times if disruption continues into the summer season.