There were no early delay notices flashing on the departure boards. The access corridor to the interior of Barcelona airport is of standard size, and the border crossing runs smoothly. At first glance, the lines at the shops were longer than usual, but the atmosphere seemed nearly normal as the holiday shutdown lingered in the background. From Friday, January 5 to Monday, January 8, Iberia’s ground-handling staff launched a strike, affecting how luggage was loaded and unloaded at the gates. The demo, attended by about a hundred workers near Terminal 1, drew attention from passengers who arrived unaware of the protest, underscoring a tension hidden behind closed doors. Camil Ros, secretary of the UGT in Catalonia, described the scene as far from quiet.
The union leader explained that the strike disrupted luggage handling and the loading process. Reports indicated that around 20 aircraft departed without checked bags, while Aena noted the number as about a dozen. The conversations around the terminal centered on whether the airport’s size would be expanded and what changes might come if an agreement remained elusive. Ros emphasized ongoing issues at Prat airport, particularly in cleaning and security services, arguing that Iberia’s approach could worsen job insecurity. He challenged Iberia directly, suggesting the airline may have preferred a draw to exit the group, and criticized Aena’s outsourcing of baggage handling to subcontractors as a root cause of the dispute.
confused passengers
Yet the demonstration did not swallow the entire day. The gathering lasted roughly an hour, during which two elderly travelers, fresh from a cruise, learned they were being redirected to a different plane that had left about an hour earlier. Iberia staff explained that they could not intervene from that point, guiding the couple to contact British Airways for alternatives. A tour guide accompanying the group noted that the partner carrier arranged flights to the United States and advised the travelers to remain calm while exploring other options.
Morning disruptions also included difficulty finding carts to haul luggage at the terminal entrance. A Basque traveler returning home for a brief visit found himself stranded without a flight, lamenting the lost vacation. Iberia staff did their best to assist, even as several cruise passengers and other travelers faced cancelled itineraries in the Catalan capital.
Overall, Iberia canceled approximately 450 routes, affecting about 44,600 passengers. About 80 percent were rebooked the following day, roughly 10 percent received refunds, and the remaining 10 percent, around 4,500 passengers, faced uncertainty. The numbers reflect a broad disruption, with passenger experiences ranging from seamless rebooking to significant delays.
Follow-up rate is less than 20%
In statements from UGT, CCOO and TO USE, references were made to incidents at major airports, with chatter about delays and planes taking off without luggage. Iberia offered its own assessment, portraying the day as largely normal while acknowledging the strike’s presence. In the first hour, about 17 percent of operations were affected; by 13:30, the figure stood at roughly 14.5 percent. These figures illustrate the fluctuating impact on daily schedules rather than a uniform collapse of service.
One Aena source remarked that travelers typically have mobile alerts from the airline about changes or cancellations, and footage of hundreds of affected passengers at the airport was not found. The takeaway, they suggested, is that the operational impact was manageable for both the airlines and the airport, with only potential delays in baggage delivery being clearly observable. The overall impact was described as not being a severe disruption, though it remains a concern for those tied to tight travel plans.
The same organization had already advised travelers flying through Spanish airports to verify flight status before heading out. Europa Press reported that Iberia conducts transport services for other airlines; consequently, some flights operated by partner carriers could experience cancellations or delays, even when Iberia’s own schedules appear to run normally. This advisory highlights the ripple effects a strike can have across a broader network, especially during peak travel periods. [Source attribution: Europa Press]