Exile covid. Like a ghost from Christmas past, the clatter of suitcases will echo again this holiday season as airports across Europe reopen and resume normal activity. The mask remains a reminder of an epidemic that paused global travel and reshaped aviation. Two years on, airlines have largely rebuilt their networks, revenues are recovering, and the workers who kept the system alive are seeking their share of the recovery. Christmas and New Year’s travel plans are again met with strikes and protests, affecting low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Vueling, and threatening the vacations of thousands. The sources cited in this report do not forecast major disruption, but they acknowledge the potential for localized issues.
In 2019, the last year of a more predictable travel pattern, Turkey’s airports handled 34.8 million passengers, about 12% of annual air traffic. Overall, the winter season has typically been tougher for airlines, with January and November as the slowest months and March through August showing stronger recovery, according to Xavier Fageda of the University of Barcelona.
In the coming weeks, cabin crews and pilots from several companies are planning protests. While each dispute has its own triggers, the thread running through them is a demand for higher wages as the Covid crisis eases and inflation erodes purchasing power. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that the industry should return to profitability in 2023, with roughly 4.5 billion euros in global industry profits and about 4.0 billion passengers carried.
Across Spain the most disruptive conflict centers on Vueling, the largest carrier by passenger volume. Roughly 10% of weekend flights have been grounded as the airline preemptively cancels services not covered by the minimum guarantees set by the Ministry of Transport. Since November, the total number of canceled flights has reached 1,424, according to union organizers, contributing to cascading delays from both strikes and routine disruptions.
The negotiating table shows a push for a 21% wage increase from 2022 to 2025, with the airline signaling no immediate concessions while a strike remains. The carrier argues that gains beyond the group’s current agreement with Iberia pilots would be unaffordable in a market already strained by higher fuel costs and CO2-related charges. As Xavier Fageda notes, airlines historically operate with thin margins and may resist cost increases that could limit competitive standing.
Air Nostrum is another carrier facing internal friction, with pilots openly demanding improved pay under new collective agreements. While Air Nostrum’s share is smaller than Vueling’s, it accounts for about 4% of Spain’s total passenger traffic, underscoring the broader risk to year-end travel plans. At present, these two carrier employee disputes represent the most significant disruptions anticipated during the Christmas period.
Ryanair also appears frequently in the mix of contested labor issues during the holiday season and the 2022 winter period. A long-running dispute concerns recognition of a benefits package and adherence to Spanish labor standards, with unions pressing for minimum holiday entitlements and better working conditions. A second priority is the reinstatement of workers dismissed during the protests. Union tallies report 39 terminations, including two top union leaders. Ryanair rejects the layoffs as linked to union activity and characterizes them as contractual breaches. The cases have progressed to court, with ongoing labor inspections and several serious accusations filed in Barcelona and other jurisdictions indicating potential violations of the right to strike.
The Ryanair dispute has simmered since before summer, and while public strikes have been announced, actual disruptions remain contained by a balance of minimal service and monitoring. The question remains whether essential services will be maintained on peak travel days as the situation unfolds.
What is notable is the ripple effect on staff at the airports themselves. The disruptions threaten to ripple through the network and beyond a single airline, potentially altering the broader travel environment. The labor union CCOO has warned of strikes but ultimately agreed to return a productivity bonus that had not been paid since the Covid outbreak, signaling a possible path toward stability if negotiations progress.