Madrid airport strike: cancelled flights at Barajas and your rights
At Barajas, strikes come in turn from the security screening staff, ground handlers or the baggage-system operators. The strike that drew the most searches, at the security checkpoints in September 2025, did not cancel flights: it made thousands of passengers miss them. Who strikes, and what happened to your flight, decides what you are owed.
Last updated: October 16, 2026
Airkarma handles claims under EU Regulation 261/2004: flights departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and flights into those countries on a European airline. Flights departing from the United Kingdom fall under UK261, which we do not handle yet.
No win, no fee: if we recover your compensation, we keep 25% incl. VAT. If we don't, you pay nothing.
Upcoming strikes at Madrid airport
As of 16 October 2026, Spain's Transport Ministry has set minimum services, from 1 October to 30 November 2026, for partial stoppages by the Barajas baggage-system operators employed by Outsmart: 05:00 to 07:00 and 13:00 to 15:00 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They have not been reported to affect flights. No handling, crew or air traffic control strike is announced at Barajas; we will update this page as soon as one is called.
Who works at Barajas, and who can strike
Since Aena's 2023 tender, ramp handling at Madrid is provided by Aviapartner, Groundforce and Iberia, whose licences passed to South, the IAG group's handling company. Ryanair handles itself through Azul Handling, and Menzies also operates at Barajas. Security screening is run by Trablisa and hold-baggage screening by Sureste, both under contract to Aena.
Recent strikes at Madrid airport
- 30 March 2026: a UGT, CCOO and USO strike at Groundforce; on day one, 38% of Barajas departures were late at midday, by 14 minutes on average. It was suspended around 8 April.
- 23, 26 and 30 December 2025, and 2 and 7 January 2026: stoppages from 08:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 22:00 at South, Iberia's handler, called by USO and CGT.
- From 14 September 2025: a strike by Trablisa security staff at the checkpoints, under 100% minimum services; queues of up to 90 minutes and, on Monday 15 September alone, 2,192 Iberia passengers missed their flight.
- August to December 2025: 24-hour strikes at Azul Handling, Ryanair's handler, on several weekends.
- 5 to 8 January 2024: a strike by Iberia's ground handling, for which Iberia announced 444 cancellations across its group in Spain.
Minimum services: which flights still operate
In a handling or airline strike, Spain's Transport Ministry sets the share of flights that must operate by type of route. In the South strike of December 2025, for example: 77% of flights to the Balearics, the Canaries, Ceuta and Melilla, 56% of international flights and of domestic ones with no land alternative under 5 hours, and 33% of other domestic flights. In a security-staff strike the minimum is set by the Government Delegation: in September 2025 it was 100%, which did not prevent the queues.
Strike at Barajas: when compensation is owed
If your flight was cancelled or arrived 3 hours or more late because of a third party's strike, such as security staff or an independent ground handler, the fixed compensation of €250 to €600 is generally not owed. The airline must still offer a refund or another flight, and meals, drinks and, if needed, a hotel.
If your airline's own staff strike, that is not an extraordinary circumstance (Court of Justice of the European Union, Airhelp v SAS, C-28/20, 2021) and compensation is generally owed. If the strike is at a company in the airline's own group, such as South for Iberia or Azul Handling for Ryanair, the airline will find it harder to argue it was beyond its control, though Iberia described the South strike as outside its control; each case is decided on its facts. From Madrid, flights over 3,500 km, such as those to the Americas, carry €600.
Where to complain
First complain to the airline in writing. If it has not answered within a month, or you disagree with its answer, you can complain to AESA, Spain's aviation safety agency: for flights from 2 June 2023 its decision binds the airline, which must pay within a month. AESA decides within 90 days and covers flights departing Spain, or arriving in Spain from outside the EU on a European airline.
Frequently asked questions
I missed my flight because of the security strike queues. Can I claim from the airline?
Not under Regulation 261: your flight left on time and you did not board. Security screening is Aena's responsibility, and the Spanish consumer association OCU advises claiming your costs from Aena, with your boarding passes and receipts.
Iberia cancelled my flight because of a strike at its handling company. Am I owed compensation?
It is arguable. South belongs to the same group as Iberia, and a strike by an airline's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance; Iberia maintains that the South strike was outside its control. You are owed a refund or another flight, and care, either way.
I read there is an air traffic controllers' strike in Madrid. Does it affect Barajas?
No. The controllers' strike called until 30 November 2026 is at the tower of Cuatro Vientos aerodrome, run by a private company; it does not affect Barajas flights.
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Official sources
The texts this page is based on: