Palma Airport Strike Update: Continuous 24-Hour Indefinite Strike Confirmed Following Today’s Protest

Wednesday, May 20th, 2026

Updated: Saturday, 13th June 2026

The ongoing industrial action at Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), which began on Monday, 25th May, has entered a critical new phase. The airport’s reduced mobility assistance team (the PMR service) has voted overwhelmingly to alter their current schedule of partial stoppages. Following an emergency ballot, the workforce rejected the latest contract proposal from their service provider, ADELTE. As a result, staff are moving away from the rotating hourly walkouts used over the last few weeks and are transitioning to an indefinite, continuous 24-hour daily strike starting on Wednesday, 17th June 2026.

Earlier today, approximately sixty off-duty staff members and union representatives gathered at Son Sant Joan Airport for a scheduled demonstration under the banner “Marea Amarilla” (Yellow Tide). During the protest, which took place in the public concourses between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm, workers stood firm on their demands and openly reaffirmed their intention to press ahead with Wednesday’s all-out strike format, stating they are prepared to see the dispute through to the end.

If you or anyone you are travelling with relies on special assistance at Palma Airport, here is a factual breakdown of the current transitioning schedule, why negotiations have stalled, and how operations are being managed.

The Transitioning Strike Schedule

The strike framework is changing significantly over the coming days. The airport will follow the pre-established partial walkout hours until mid-week, at which point the full-time, round-the-clock format takes effect.

The schedule for the coming days is mapped out below:

Why Has the Strike Escalated?

The dispute centres on a fundamental disagreement regarding staffing structures and the consolidation of working hours. Out of 151 workers who participated in the recent union vote, 96% backed the move to a continuous strike format.

According to the workers’ committee, the private contractor ADELTE presented an offer that provided fewer benefits than their existing terms. At today’s demonstration, union representatives highlighted several persistent grievances driving the current impasse:

• On-Call Availability: Representatives state that roughly 70% of the airport’s 400 assistance staff are permanent seasonal workers (fijos discontinuos) on part-time contracts, yet they are frequently requested to take on last-minute extra shifts, which impacts their work-life balance.
• Unconsolidated Hours: The workforce is seeking to have the actual hours they regularly work permanently consolidated into their base contracts. This affects roughly thirty employees who have consistently worked shifts exceeding their contracted hours.
• Past Agreement Disagreements: The committee has criticised management for its specific interpretation of a mediation agreement signed in May 2025 at the Balearic Islands Labour Arbitration Tribunal (TAMIB), which management has used to question the validity of the current actions.

Minimum Service Levels and Operational Oversight

To prevent a total suspension of mobility assistance services, Spain’s Ministry of Transport continues to enforce legally mandated servicios mínimos (minimum service levels) for the airport.

• Emergency Protection: Full 100% staffing remains legally required for all medical transports, emergencies, and high-priority flights.
• Standard Operations: A mandatory baseline of 60% of normal staffing must remain on duty to handle international and regional commercial flights. This legal framework ensures that basic special assistance logistics keep moving through the terminal, even during active walkouts.

However, the notification process for these minimum service positions has created friction between the union and the employer. The committee claims that a number of workers did not receive their mandatory shift notifications via text message or found them in email spam folders, in some cases receiving notice just hours before shifts began. The union has objected to subsequent disciplinary warning letters issued by the company, arguing that the burden remains on the employer to ensure communication is reliably received.

Advice for Passengers

While the 60% minimum service rules are designed to prevent terminal gridlocks, operating with a reduced team means that processing times at special assistance desks may take longer than usual.

1. Coordinate with Your Airline: Reach out to your airline a few days before your departure. Carriers are managing assistance requests directly and can provide updates on arrival and departure timeframes.
2. Factor in Extra Time: Plan a comfortable buffer for checking in and passing through security, especially if you are travelling on a Sunday or after the continuous strike format begins on Wednesday.
3. Keep Essentials Accessible: Ensure that any critical medications, specialised care items, or refreshments are kept in your hand luggage in case you experience standard waiting periods on board the aircraft or at the baggage reclaim counters.

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