Flights to Spain are facing considerable disruption this summer if strikes planned by more than 10 airlines go ahead as proposed by the Spanish Union of Airline Pilots (SEPLA). The proposed walkouts involve pilots from major carriers including Air Nostrum, Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, and easyJet, among others.
The strikes are the result of an ongoing dispute between SEPLA and the Spanish Ministry of Transport over the implementation of a “minimum services” law. This law mandates pilots to work during labour disputes to ensure that 90 percent of flights continue to operate. While these strikes may raise concerns among passengers, the majority of British travellers visiting Spain are unlikely to be severely affected since most flights are operated by British-based crews.
However, some flights, particularly those originating in Spain, could experience disruptions if the strikes proceed as planned. Airlines are expected to provide affected passengers with alternative departures and accommodations to minimise the inconvenience caused. Additionally, Italy is also experiencing aviation industrial action, with multiple strikes scheduled throughout the day, primarily by ground staff. This could potentially result in further travel disruptions on what is expected to be a busy travel day.
Despite the potential strikes, Spain’s tourism industry was showing signs of significant strength at the end of 2022. In December alone, the number of international tourist arrivals reached 4.1 million, a mere 4.4 percent below the figure recorded in December 2019. This recovery in international tourism has occurred alongside rising prices within the sector.
Data from January’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates that accommodation prices were 18.6 percent higher than the same month in 2019, while leisure and catering prices saw a 14.9 percent increase. The combination of increased tourist volume and price hikes has resulted in tourism revenues surpassing pre-pandemic levels. In fact, international tourist expenditure in December was 4.5 percent higher than in the same month of 2019.
Domestic tourism also performed well at the end of 2022, consistently surpassing 2019 activity levels for the past three quarters. In December, the number of overnight stays by residents in tourist accommodations increased by 2.9 percent compared to the same month in 2019. One of the driving factors behind this excellent performance is the slow recovery of residents’ travel abroad. Card payment data from Caixa Bank revealed that in January of this year, spending on cards abroad was still 16.8 percent below the levels recorded in January 2019.
As the proposed strikes loom, both airlines and travellers will be closely monitoring the situation for any potential disruptions to travel plans. Efforts will be made to minimise the impact on passengers, and affected airlines are expected to provide suitable alternatives for affected flights.