Iberia has been monitoring a strike period that affects the handling of bags and passenger services at several major airports. At a 7:30 a.m. checkpoint, the carrier found that minimum service levels were not being met in certain locations, with an average shortfall of around 19 percent. This Monday marks the final day of a sequence of industrial actions called by multiple unions and a cross-employer committee that have targeted the company’s handling operations for the week.
The airline stated that punctuality is currently at 88 percent and regularity at a full 100 percent, noting that all scheduled flights have departed. Iberia Group has 509 flights planned for this Monday, underscoring the company’s effort to maintain a full flight schedule despite the disruptions from the strike.
In his public statements, Iberia acknowledged a spike in issues related to luggage handling, with hundreds of pieces of luggage presenting challenges in real time at three of the 29 airports where the group provides handling services. The affected airports include Barcelona, Bilbao and Gran Canaria, where operational strains have been most visible during the strike period.
The company emphasized that during the four days of industrial action it expects to move more than 140,000 suitcases through the Iberia network. Iberia pledged to continue working at a high tempo to minimize any impact on luggage. For items that cannot be loaded onto the immediate flight, the aim is to ensure they reach their destination and their owners as quickly as possible through alternative routing.
Iberia added that, as in previous days, luggage would be transported on the earliest available flights or by road when necessary in order to minimize disruption to passengers and their plans.
The company’s statement concluded with an expression of regret: Iberia deeply regrets the situation and reiterates its apology to the affected passengers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption.
During the four days of planned protests, Iberia previously canceled a number of routes — 270 by Iberia itself, 64 by Iberia Express and 110 by Air Nostrum — an action that affected approximately 45,000 passengers. In excess of 90 percent of those travelers were rebooked on alternative flights or granted refunds for their tickets. The airline has emphasized that it remains focused on minimizing the inconvenience for customers while continuing to operate as many services as possible during the strike period. Source notes: Iberia press communications and airline operations briefings.