Holiday disruption warning as air traffic control staff at Canary Islands airports plan to strike this week

Air traffic controllers at towers run by SAERCO, a firm which operates control towers across the country, will begin an indefinite strike on Friday 17 April.

A total of 14 airports across Spain and the Canary Islands are set to be affected.

The strike action has been called by the Union Sindical de Reguladores Aereos and Comisiones Obreras.

According to local news site Canarian Weekly, airports across the Spanish archipelago are likely to be affected, including Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera.

The walkout is due to an ongoing dispute over staff shortages, heavy workloads and unpredictable schedules.

Unions claim workers are regularly dealing with last minute shift changes, on-call duties becoming routine, cancelled annual leave and unclear rest periods.

There is currently no end date set for the strike action. This means that disruption could continue until an agreement is reached.

Passengers are urged to prepare for flight delays and possible cancellations, schedule changes at short notice, and longer wait times at airports.

Air traffic control strikes are classed as “extraordinary circumstances” which means that airlines are not usually required to pay compensation for delays or cancellations, although they must still offer booking or refunds.

Holidaymakers are urged to check their flight status regularly and arrive at the airport earlier than usual.