How do I know if my flight is affected by the Ryanair strike?

Air travel could become more complicated for many passengers for the remainder of the year, with Ryanair planning 22 days of strikes from mid-August to the end of December. The labor dispute between the UGT and CGT unions and Azul Handling, the Irish airline 's subsidiary in Spain that provides ground handling services, has led to the strikes, which will affect the airline's 12 operational bases in the country : Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Malaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Girona, Santiago de Compostela, Tenerife South, and Lanzarote.

The strike will begin at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport from August 15th to 17th, a date expected to be extremely busy due to the holiday on Friday the 15th. It will also continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until December 31st . The strike thus coincides with some of the busiest periods of the year, significantly increasing the risk of delays, cancellations , and baggage problems for thousands of passengers.

How to know if my flight is affected

If our flight is affected by the strike and is canceled or delayed, Ryanair will notify us by email to the email address associated with the reservation. We can also check the flight status on the airline's website, specifically in the "Travel updates" section , which offers constantly updated information. To do this, we'll need to enter our flight details, including the origin and destination cities or the airline (Ryanair, Ryanair UK, Air Malta, Buzz, Lauda Europe), the flight number, and the date.

Am I entitled to compensation?

Flightright , a legal platform specializing in defending air passenger rights, warns that even in situations of labor protests, passengers may be entitled to financial compensation. " Handling staff strikes can be considered an extraordinary circumstance under Regulation (EC) 261/2004, but only under certain circumstances. The fact that a strike occurs does not automatically release the airline from its liability . If it had prior knowledge and failed to take reasonable measures to prevent the flight disruption, passengers may still be entitled to compensation," clarifies Lucía Cegarra, legal expert at Flightright.

What can passengers claim in this situation? According to European regulations, passengers may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 if their flight is canceled with less than 14 days' notice, if they experience a delay of more than three hours upon arrival at their destination, or if they are relocated without justification or adequate assistance. "The Ryanair case presents certain complexities, as Azul Handling operates as a subsidiary with operational autonomy. Therefore, it is essential to analyze each situation individually ," explains Lucía Cegarra. In any case, it is advisable for passengers to carefully document the incident (with emails, waiting times, receipts, photos, or any other evidence), as this information can be key to effectively claiming their rights.