Palma Airport Strikes: Menzies Deal Offers Hope, but Azul Action Continues

Saturday, August 9th, 2025

Updated 29/8/2025

Two Disputes, One Summer of Travel Disruption

Passengers travelling through Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) this summer have been caught in the middle of two parallel ground staff disputes. While negotiations between Menzies Aviation and the UGT union have moved forward, the strikes involving Azul Handling, Ryanair’s ground services provider in Spain, remain firmly in place.

Breakthrough in the Menzies Dispute

After several days of negotiations, Menzies Aviation and UGT reached a draft agreement, which led to the suspension of the walkouts planned for the weekend of 23–24 August. The deal covers working conditions such as shift allocations, leave entitlements, maximum hours, and career progression, with changes applied retroactively. Airlines including easyJet, British Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian, American Airlines, and Wizz Air stand to benefit from this breakthrough.

However, the agreement has not yet been formally ratified in writing. Union representatives have stressed that until this happens, the strike action technically still stands. Their cautious approach comes from past disputes where promises made at the negotiating table were not delivered in practice.

Azul Handling Strike Still On

In contrast, Azul Handling staff continue their industrial action, affecting Ryanair flights at Palma and other Spanish airports. The strike, which began on 15 August, is scheduled to run until the end of December 2025. It follows a set pattern of stoppages several times a day, four days a week. Staff have raised concerns over job insecurity, pressure to work additional shifts, and breaches of labour agreements.

The union UGT has accused Azul Handling of deliberately undermining the strike by reinforcing staff levels, reassigning duties, and issuing late notifications of minimum service requirements, all of which they argue restrict the right to strike.

Impact at Palma Airport So Far

Despite the lengthy strike calendar, the impact at Palma has been relatively limited to date. The first strike days over the August bank holiday weekend passed with only minor delays, regular queues, and largely stable operations. A handful of flights were affected, including one cancellation and some short delays on routes to the UK, but widespread disruption has so far been avoided.

The limited effect appears to be due to the strict enforcement of minimum service levels and company measures to mitigate disruption, rather than a lack of participation from striking staff.

Minimum Service Levels in Spain

During strikes in the aviation sector, Spain’s Ministry of Transport sets legally binding minimum service levels that airlines must comply with. For the August strike period, this has been set between 55% and 81% of normal operations, depending on the route and passenger demand. These thresholds are designed to protect essential travel while allowing staff to exercise their right to strike.

In practice, minimum service levels mean that while outright cancellations are reduced, delays are still common. For travellers at Palma, this explains why most flights have been operating but often with longer queues at check-in, slower baggage handling, or schedule adjustments.

Strike Timetable

Ryanair (Azul Handling)

Initial strike dates: Friday 15th, Saturday 16th, and Sunday 17th of August 2025
Ongoing strike pattern: Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Wednesday, 31st December 2025
Daily stoppages: 05:00–09:00, 12:00–15:00, and 21:00–23:59

Menzies Aviation

Strike dates originally called for: Saturday 16th, Sunday 17th, Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th, Saturday 30th, and Sunday 31st of August 2025
Duration: 24 hours on each strike day
Current status: Suspended pending the formal ratification of the new agreement

Understanding the Role of Ground Handling Staff

Ground handling teams are vital to the smooth operation of airports and airlines. Their duties include:

Check-in and boarding: processing passengers, issuing boarding passes, and managing luggage drop-off.
Baggage services: loading and unloading aircraft, transferring baggage, and delivering it to carousels.
Aircraft servicing: coordinating fuelling, cleaning, catering, and towing.
Passenger support: assisting travellers with mobility needs, boarding, and transfers.
Cargo and freight: handling commercial shipments and secure items.

When these services are interrupted, even partially, the consequences can include delays at check-in, baggage delivery problems, slower aircraft turnaround, and occasional flight cancellations.

Advice for Travellers

If you are flying via Palma Airport during the strike period:

Monitor your airline’s website or app frequently for the latest updates
Arrive early at the airport, particularly if your flight coincides with strike hours
Keep essentials such as medication, chargers, and valuables in your hand luggage
Consider flexible travel insurance that covers disruption caused by strikes