Sunday update, Ryanair strike Spain time windows

Published on Aug 24, 2025, 11:05 am CDT

6 min read

Ryanair's ground-handling contractor, Azul Handling, is staging recurring walkouts across Spain. For Sunday, August 24, 2025, the three strike windows are 500 to 900, 1200 to 1500, and 2100 to 2359, local time at all covered airports. Ryanair has said disruption has been limited so far, but queues still flare during the windows as check-in, boarding, and baggage teams thin out. Spain's minimum-service rules keep most flights operating, yet lines and late baggage remain likely around peaks.

Key Points

Why it matters: Repeating Sunday walkouts target morning, midday, and late-evening peaks.
Travel impact: Longer lines, slower bag delivery, and late pushbacks inside the windows.
What's next: Pattern repeats every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through December 31.
EC 261 care rights apply; cash compensation is usually excluded for third-party strikes.
Some airlines report "minimal impact," but terminals still jam at peak hours.

Snapshot

After the kickoff weekend, Azul Handling's strike repeats on a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday cadence through December 31, 2025. The design concentrates pressure during three daily blocks, 500 to 900, 1200 to 1500, and 2100 to 2359, local time. Minimum-service orders from Transport protect a large share of flying, especially island routes, which helps cap cancellations. The visible effects are on the ground, where fewer staff can slow check-in, gate turns, and baggage. Ryanair says operations saw little impact in the first rounds, however local media and passenger-rights monitors still flagged long lines and occasional ripple delays inside the windows. Travelers should arrive early, carry-on if possible, and pad connections.

Background

UGT called the strike at Azul Handling, which performs check-in, boarding, ramp, and baggage work for Ryanair group airlines across Spain. The union cites sanctions, forced extra hours, and staffing concerns. Spain's Transport Ministry set legally binding minimum-service levels by route type, especially for Balearic and Canary lifeline flights. Because the action involves a third-party handler, EC 261 compensation is generally treated as excluded, but airlines still owe care and rerouting or refunds. First-weekend reporting indicated few cancellations at the largest bases, aligning with Ryanair's "minimal impact" messaging, yet peak-hour queues and late baggage were still observed. For deeper context and the full cadence, see our prior coverage, Spain airport strikes, weekend walkouts target baggage and check-in and our EC 261 explainer in Ryanair Ground Handling Strikes in Spain Start Friday.

Latest Developments

Ryanair strike Spain, Sunday windows and airport list

For Sunday, August 24, 2025, the Azul Handling strike windows are 500 to 900, 1200 to 1500, and 2100 to 2359, local time. Coverage spans more than twenty airports, including Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP), Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC), Almería Airport (LEI), Asturias Airport (OVD), Fuerteventura Airport (FUE), Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO), Gran Canaria Airport (LPA), Ibiza Airport (IBZ), César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport (ACE), Menorca Airport (MAH), Region of Murcia International Airport (RMU), Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), Reus Airport (REU), Santander Airport (SDR), Santiago-Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ), Seville, San Pablo Airport (SVQ), Tenerife North-Ciudad de La Laguna Airport (TFN), Tenerife South Airport (TFS), Valencia Airport (VLC), Vigo Airport (VGO), Vitoria Airport (VIT), and Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ). Expect the longest lines around midday, and slower late-evening bag delivery after 21:00.

Impact so far, rights, and practical steps

Ryanair says it has seen little operational impact, crediting planning and legal minimums. Nonetheless, union accounts and traveler reports point to peak-hour bottlenecks at Barcelona, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Málaga, and other leisure gateways during strike windows. Under EC 261, you are owed care, timely information, rerouting at the earliest opportunity or a refund, and reasonable meals or hotels during extended waits. Because a third-party handler is striking, cash compensation is usually excluded if the airline took reasonable measures, although regulators judge cases individually. Practical playbook, arrive early for morning banks, avoid checking bags on strike days, build generous connection buffers, and monitor the airline app for re-timings.

Analysis

The structure of this campaign matters more than raw scale. Ground handling is the connective tissue for on-time performance, so a partial staffing gap can cascade into late pushbacks and baggage delays without producing headline-grabbing cancellation totals. By concentrating stoppages in three blocks, organizers hit the morning departure surge, the tight midday turns, and the late-evening arrivals that set up tomorrow's first waves. Spain's minimum-service orders stabilize the schedule, particularly to island markets, but they do not guarantee normal throughput at counters, gates, and belts.

Ryanair's "minimal impact" line appears accurate on cancellations so far, which is consistent with protected schedules and strong contingency planning at core bases. Even so, the lived traveler experience is still degraded within the windows, with queueing, slower baggage, and occasional knock-on delays that spill into the next block. Sunday leisure flows accentuate the squeeze, especially at Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), and Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP). If the dispute persists into September, pressure will shift from island weekend peaks toward business-hour rotations at Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) and Valencia Airport (VLC). The legal framework also shapes expectations, since third-party strikes are generally treated as extraordinary circumstances for compensation, while preserving airlines' duty of care. For ongoing cadence and EC 261 details, refer back to our prior coverage linked above.

Final Thoughts

Expect fewer cancellations than headlines suggest, but plan for friction inside the windows. On Sunday, August 24, 2025, target flights outside 500 to 900, 1200 to 1500, and 2100 to 2359 where possible, and budget extra time if you cannot shift. Pack a 24-hour essentials kit in your carry-on, photograph your bag tag, and keep receipts for care claims. This pattern repeats mid-week and on weekends through year-end unless a deal emerges. We will continue tracking operations and any changes to rights guidance, as Spain's rules and airport staffing evolve around the Ryanair strike Spain.