Groundforce strike at Barcelona airport threatens millions of passengers

The CGT union representing Groundforce staff announced an unlimited strike at Barcelona‑El Prat Airport starting 4 August. The walkout involves about 1,179 ground‑handling employees responsible for baggage, check‑in, boarding and flight coordination. The strike is a response to what the union describes as a severe deterioration in health‑and‑safety conditions and excessive workload.

Groundforce provides ground services for airlines such as Air Europa, Lufthansa, Air France, Qatar Airways and United. The industrial action could affect roughly 11,600 scheduled flights, representing around 2.4 million seats and up to 2 million passengers. Spain’s Ministry of Transport has set minimum service levels: 80 % of flights to non‑peninsular destinations in August (77 % in September) and 58 % for international and long‑haul domestic routes in August (57 % in September).