Spain Walked Off the Job Today, and the Government Picked Which Flights Still Go

Spain is in the middle of a 24-hour nationwide general strike today, Wednesday, November 11. The stoppage was called by the country’s two largest unions, UGT and CCOO, which are protesting the cost of housing, stagnant wages and everyday living expenses. For travelers, the practical question is not whether anything moves but how much, because Spanish law requires the Transport Ministry to set protected “minimum services” for essential transport during a general strike, and it has done exactly that for airports and railways.

According to eTurboNews, the ministry ordered between 39% and 64% of international flights to operate, and between 52% and 85% on many routes to the Balearic and Canary Islands. Those figures are guaranteed floors rather than cancellation rates, and actual schedules vary route by route. On the railways, Renfe commuter trains are protected at 75% during peak hours and 50% the rest of the day, while medium-distance services are set at 65% and long-distance and high-speed trains at 73%.

Airlines are responding with flexibility. The Lufthansa Group warned of cancellations and delays on flights to and from Spain across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Discover, and is letting customers on cancelled flights rebook once for free or take a refund. Iberia has extended its own temporary policy for passengers who may struggle to reach Madrid-Barajas between November 10 and 12. Customers of Iberia, Iberia Express and Air Nostrum who bought tickets by November 10 can move to another flight up to November 16, or switch to an airport within 300 kilometres.

The disruption also does not end at midnight. Separate rail strikes were scheduled around the general strike on November 10 and 12, and further industrial action has been flagged for November 17. Anyone flying or riding trains in Spain this week should check their booking in the airline or Renfe app the night before and again on the morning of travel, leave extra time to get to the airport, and keep in mind that EU Regulation 261/2004 still sets out passenger rights when a flight is cancelled.

Sources: eTurboNews, Lufthansa Group eXperts, Rus Tourism News