Madrid-Barajas Ground-Handling Strike to Hit 22 Days

Published on Aug 4, 2025, 9:21 am CDT

3 min read

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) is bracing for 22 days of walkouts by Azul Handling, Ryanair's in-house ground crew, after UGT and CGT filed strike notice covering long weekends from August 15 through New Year's Eve. The action threatens baggage backlogs that could spill across terminals where ramp space, belt loaders, and tugs are shared with easyJet, Vueling, and other low-cost operators. Spain's transport ministry will set legally binding minimum-service levels in the coming days.

Key Points

Why it matters: 22 walkout days fall in Spain's busiest travel months.
Travel impact: Baggage and turnaround times may lengthen for airlines that share ramps with Ryanair.
What's next: Transport ministry to publish minimum-service order, likely above 50 percent for many flights.
Union complaint: Workers face suspensions for refusing extra hours.
Contingency tip: Pack carry-on only to avoid reclaim delays.

Snapshot

Azul employees will strike August 15-17, 23-24, 30-31; September 6-7, 13-14; October 11-12; November 1-2, 8-9; and December 20-21, 27-28, and 31. Azul handles Ryanair, Buzz, Lauda Europe, and Malta Air flights at Terminals 1 and 2. easyJet's baggage is managed by Menzies at T1 while Vueling relies on Menzies at T4.Because ramp equipment and reclaim belts are pooled, stoppages in one handler's zone can cascade, delaying belt availability for other carriers and clogging access roads that all handlers share.

Background

UGT and CGT say Azul imposed unpaid suspensions of up to 36 days on staff who refused non-mandatory hours, blocked the works council, and withheld required data. The dispute revives labour tensions at Barajas months after Iberia Handling's January strike triggered more than 600 flight cancellations across multiple airlines. Under Spanish law, the secretary of state for transport can compel minimum services to protect mobility and essential cargo.

Latest Developments

Ministry order expected within a week

Madrid's transport ministry has not yet released the strike-specific service mandate, but January's Iberia resolution required 100 percent coverage for medical and rescue flights, 79 percent for domestic lifeline routes from MAD to the islands, 58 percent for mainland flights with no five-hour rail alternative, and 32 percent where high-speed rail exists. Unions argue such thresholds leave little room for pressure, yet carriers view them as the only guardrail preventing nationwide gridlock.

Analysis

Azul's footprint is smaller than Iberia Handling's, yet the risk of spillover is real because ground operations at MAD run on tightly sequenced slot times. A delayed Ryanair pushback can strand an aircraft on its stand, preventing a belt loader from moving to the next flight. easyJet's and Vueling's baggage reclaim points sit on the same conveyor system that feeds multiple handlers, so even short work stoppages can trigger a queue of containers waiting to unload. Airlines routinely hire extra staff or truck in mobile stairs during strikes, but baggage tug shortages are harder to offset. Travelers booked on codeshares should remember that compensation rules for delays caused by third-party strikes differ between EU261 and UK261 regimes; carry-on-only travel remains the surest hedge.

Final Thoughts

Unless Azul and the unions find common ground, Madrid-Barajas faces a rolling operational headache that could ripple through Europe's winter-holiday peak. Travelers, airlines, and tour operators should monitor the ministry's forthcoming decree, build longer connection buffers, and minimize checked luggage to mitigate the Madrid-Barajas ground-handling strike.