Airlines demand Spain calls state of emergency

 

A number of Airlines are demanding that Spain declares a state of emergency in order to keep airports open through a planned series of strikes over the easter and summer holiday periods.

Members of the International Air Carrier Association (IACA), which includes Tui, Thomas Cook and Monarch , say how the Spanish government need to ensure that airports remain open and fully operational at all times. Without this being in place, the carriers, who transport much of Spain's tourism traffic vital to the Spanish economy, expect to see a significant drop in travellers to the country.

The IACA urged Spain to consider declaring a state of emergency to safeguard it's tourism industry, with the IACA director-general Sylviane commenting: "Airlines and their passengers have been severely hit by the recent multiple air traffic control strikes in Spain.

"Now that many tourists have swapped their travel plans in favour of Spain as the result of the unrest in North African destinations, a wave of new industrial actions is planned at peak holiday periods."

She continued: "Enough is enough. The Spanish economy, passengers and airlines cannot afford to be held ransom by transport workers. This must be stopped."

Unions representing the airport workers are threatening 22 days of strikes to be held between Easter and August in protest over the government's plans to privtatise 49% of the national airport operator AENA.