Published on : 02 Apr 2026
Breaking: The Menzies airport strike — scheduled to begin today, April 2 — has been officially called off after a last-minute deal was struck on Tuesday March 31. This is a significant development that directly contradicts all previous reporting, including our own April 1 article. However, this is NOT a clean end to the Easter airport crisis. Groundforce is still walking out TODAY. Good Friday (April 3) remains a strike day. And the Groundforce dispute has NO deal, NO suspension, and NO end date. Here is everything you need to know right now.
Published: April 2, 2026 ⚠️ CORRECTION TO: All previous TravelTourister Spain strike articles (March 21–April 1, 2026) Menzies Strike Status: ✅ CALLED OFF — deal reached March 31 at SIMA mediation Groundforce Strike Status: 🔴 ACTIVE TODAY — April 2 is NOT a Groundforce strike day (Thu) — next Groundforce day is Friday April 3 Good Friday April 3: 🔴 Groundforce STILL STRIKING — no Menzies but Groundforce walkout confirmed Easter Monday April 6: 🔴 Groundforce STILL STRIKING — Mon/Wed/Fri pattern continues Passengers Still at Risk: Hundreds of thousands on Groundforce-handled flights through Easter Carriers Affected: Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, Jet2, TUI and all carriers using Groundforce at 12 Spanish airports
Our April 1, 2026 article stated that Menzies was due to begin 24-hour full strikes today, April 2, with the crisis escalating through Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) as a double strike with Groundforce.
That situation has changed. Here is what actually happened:
Around 3,000 ground staff and baggage handlers from the Menzies group were set to launch industrial action on April 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to coincide with Semana Santa celebrations. However, the walkout will no longer go ahead after leaders from the General Workers’ Union (UGT) struck a deal at the eleventh hour with Menzies management.
A last-ditch agreement was reached on Tuesday March 31 in which the company agreed new financial guarantees for transferred employees and resolved differences over fixed and variable bonuses and annual working hours.
Following a mediation deal reached on March 31 at the Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA), the Menzies strike has been officially called off. The Menzies 24-hour strikes previously scheduled for April 2 to 6 have been cancelled.
This is genuinely good news for the hundreds of thousands of passengers flying through Barcelona, Palma, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife Sur, and Tenerife Norte — the seven airports where Menzies operates. The most feared scenario — simultaneous Groundforce and Menzies walkouts on Good Friday April 3 and Easter Monday April 6 — has been avoided.
But the Easter airport crisis is not over. Groundforce remains on indefinite strike. The next strike window is tomorrow — Good Friday, April 3.
The Menzies group pledged to address the management of overtime and shift scheduling, which they say will be reviewed and improved to ensure proper implementation, avoiding the constant errors that had been occurring in the company’s management of them.
The company also committed to fresh negotiations on employment, saying the move was necessary given the precarious situation of staffing levels at different airports, where part-time contracts prevail despite a real need for full-time hiring.
The deal resolves the immediate dispute. Menzies workers will return to normal operations at Barcelona El-Prat, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga-Costa del Sol, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, and Tenerife South.
Important: The Menzies agreement is a resolution to the April strike action — it does not permanently close the dispute. If the broader employment and staffing commitments are not delivered, unions retain the right to call further action.
While the Menzies situation has improved, the Groundforce dispute remains completely unresolved.
Groundforce strike schedule — confirmed active:
| Date | Strike Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday April 2 (TODAY) | ✅ No Groundforce strike | Thu is not a strike day |
| Good Friday April 3 | 🔴 GROUNDFORCE ACTIVE | 5–7AM, 11AM–5PM, 10PM–midnight |
| Saturday April 4 | ✅ No Groundforce strike | Sat is not a strike day |
| Easter Sunday April 5 | ✅ No Groundforce strike | Sun is not a strike day |
| Easter Monday April 6 | 🔴 GROUNDFORCE ACTIVE | Mon pattern — 3 daily time slots |
| Wednesday April 8 | 🔴 GROUNDFORCE ACTIVE | Wed pattern continues |
| Friday April 10 | 🔴 GROUNDFORCE ACTIVE | Fri pattern — also EES goes live |
At Groundforce, the dispute remains unresolved due to ongoing disagreements over pay. The unions have declared the Groundforce walkouts to be indefinite, meaning these partial stoppages will continue on their scheduled days — every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — until further notice.
Groundforce strike time slots (on strike days):
Groundforce airports (12): Madrid-Barajas | Barcelona El Prat | Málaga Costa del Sol | Palma de Mallorca | Alicante Elche | Valencia | Bilbao | Ibiza | Las Palmas Gran Canaria | Tenerife Norte | Tenerife Sur | Lanzarote | Fuerteventura
Both Groundforce and Menzies operate here. Menzies is now back to work. Groundforce continues its Mon/Wed/Fri walkout. Today (Thursday) is a non-strike day for Groundforce. Good Friday (April 3) will see Groundforce walking out during the three daily windows.
Menzies deal removes the most acute threat here. Groundforce covers the other handling contracts. Good Friday and Easter Monday remain disrupted by Groundforce partial stoppages.
One of the UK’s most popular departure points. Menzies suspension eases pressure. Groundforce remains on strike. Good Friday will see peak-period stoppages (11AM–5PM) coinciding with the busy holiday departure waves.
Both Menzies (now resolved) and Groundforce operate here. Groundforce indefinite action continues through Easter. The 11AM–5PM window is the most damaging at Alicante given its package holiday departure profile.
Menzies removal is significant for Tenerife given both airports are major UK leisure destinations. Groundforce partial action continues on strike days.
Groundforce handles these Canary Islands airports. Menzies was not the primary concern here. Indefinite Groundforce action continues.
Menzies does not operate at these airports — the deal has no direct impact here. Groundforce indefinite action continues on Mon/Wed/Fri.
With Menzies back to work, the carrier exposure profile changes significantly.
Menzies handled airlines (now RESOLVED — no disruption): Emirates, British Airways, American Airlines, easyJet, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian, Wizz Air at Menzies airports are no longer at risk from Menzies action.
Groundforce-handled airlines (STILL AT RISK on strike days): Air Europa — Groundforce handles nearly all Air Europa ground operations. This remains the highest single-carrier exposure. Iberia-group carriers, Ryanair at selected airports, Vueling, Jet2, TUI, and other carriers with Groundforce contracts remain exposed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday strike windows.
Check your airline’s waiver — these are still live:
Good Friday (April 3) is the single most important remaining risk day of the Easter period. It is a Groundforce strike day. Here is what passengers flying through any Groundforce airport tomorrow should expect.
Strike windows active tomorrow:
What Groundforce disruption looks like in practice: Baggage loading and unloading slows or stops during the walkout windows. Aircraft turnarounds take longer. Departures fall behind. Knock-on delays from earlier in the day accumulate. Even if your individual flight is not directly affected by a strike window, a delay earlier in the aircraft’s rotation can push your departure back by 1–3 hours.
What to do if you are flying Spain on Good Friday:
✅ Arrive 3–4 hours before departure — not 2 hours ✅ Travel carry-on only if your trip allows it — this is the single most effective action you can take ✅ Download your airline’s app now and enable push notifications ✅ Screenshot your booking reference and your airline’s customer service number before you travel ✅ Know your EU261 Duty of Care rights (see below)
The removal of Menzies from the equation changes the legal landscape slightly but does not change the fundamental EU261 position.
Cash compensation (€250–€600): Because Groundforce is a third-party contractor — not the airline itself — the strike is typically classified as Extraordinary Circumstances under EU Regulation 261/2004. This means airlines are generally not liable for cash delay compensation for Groundforce-caused disruptions.
However — important exception: UK courts and the Civil Aviation Authority have ruled in multiple cases that third-party ground handling strikes can qualify for EC 261 cash compensation, depending on the specific circumstances. If your flight is significantly delayed or cancelled, file a claim and let the CAA or your national aviation authority adjudicate. Do not assume you have no claim.
Duty of Care (always applies — no exceptions):
✅ Meals and refreshments after 2 hours of delay (domestic) ✅ Meals and refreshments after 3 hours of delay (international) ✅ Two telephone calls, emails, or fax messages ✅ Hotel accommodation if you are stranded overnight ✅ Transport between hotel and airport
Airlines cannot refuse Duty of Care by citing Extraordinary Circumstances. If your airline denies Duty of Care, you are entitled to claim the reasonable costs back through your national aviation authority.
If your flight is cancelled: Full refund OR rebooking on an equivalent flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity — your choice. Airlines cannot force you to accept a voucher.
Step 1 — Check your specific flight status. Use FlightAware or your airline’s app. Do this today (April 2) and again tomorrow morning (April 3) before leaving for the airport. Groundforce is not striking today (Thursday), so flights today should operate normally. Good Friday is the next risk day.
Step 2 — Check your airline’s Spain waiver. Iberia, Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, and TUI have all issued Spain Easter flexibility policies. Log into your booking today and check whether a fee-free date change is available before you arrive at the airport.
Step 3 — Pack carry-on only if at all possible. Baggage handling is the single most disrupted element of every Groundforce strike window. If you can fit your belongings in a cabin bag, you bypass the biggest risk entirely.
Step 4 — Arrive 3–4 hours before departure on strike days. Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) are strike days. Normal 2-hour arrival rules do not apply. Check-in queues, security, and boarding will all be slower.
Step 5 — Know your Duty of Care rights before you arrive. If your flight is delayed more than 2 hours (domestic) or 3 hours (international), ask your airline for a meal voucher immediately. Do not wait to be offered one.
The Menzies airport strike, which was the most feared escalation of Spain’s Easter travel crisis, has been averted by a last-minute deal reached on March 31. Passengers flying through Barcelona, Palma, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, and both Tenerife airports via Menzies-handled carriers can travel with significantly less risk than was forecast 48 hours ago.
However, the Groundforce crisis is entirely unresolved. The indefinite Mon/Wed/Fri walkout pattern continues through Easter and beyond, with Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6) both confirmed strike days. The 11AM–5PM window on both days covers the busiest holiday departure peaks at Spain’s coastal and island airports.
Travel carry-on only. Arrive 4 hours early on strike days. Check your airline’s waiver. Know your Duty of Care rights. The worst-case scenario has been avoided — but Easter in Spain is still not disruption-free.
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Posted By : Vinay
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