Spanish airports playing catch up following strike

News at Gatwick 06/12/2010

New owners transform Gatwick : December 2010 : Gatwick to invest heavily in snow-clearing equipment

Travellers face more delays as backlogs are cleared following traffic controller strike.

Air passengers are being warned they face further delays as efforts begin in Spain to clear travel backlogs following a strike by traffic controllers ended there. Air travel in Spain is returning to normal but according to officials, further delays are expected.

The unofficial strike was called by Spain’s air traffic controllers. Some quarter of a million travellers were hit by the unsanctioned walkout on Saturday. The industrial action was the only latest development in an ongoing industrial dispute over traffic controllers’ working hours.

For the first time since Spain was ruled by the military, the government has imposed emergency measures. The state of alert gives the government the authority to arrest anybody who refuses to work. Though the strike is over, many thousands of travellers have been warned to expect further delays.

More strike action is still being threatened for the Christmas and New Year’s periods but the Spanish government vows to quash any industrial action. Spain’s traffic controllers are operating now under the eye of the military. Army trucks can be seen at many airports in the country.

Airport operator Aena says about 4,000 flights were supposed to operate on Sunday but thousands of Spanish passengers would still have their weekend travel plans ruined. Up to 20,000 UK travellers are thought to have had their travel plans hit by the industrial action.

New owners transform Gatwick : December 2010 : Gatwick to invest heavily in snow-clearing equipment

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