The strike convened by UGT In Blue Handling, company that provides land assistance services for Ryanair, threatens to alter flights throughout Spain And, indirectly, also those operating from the airport of Saragossa. The unemployment will begin on August 15 and will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until December 31, 2025, in stripes from 05:00 to 09:00 hours, from 12:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Although Zaragoza is not a direct basis of the company, its operation depends on the national network, so any incidence in other airports could lead to delays or cancellations in the Aragonese capital.
The regulation
As UGT warned, the strike will affect essential works such as billing, shipping, luggage load or aircraft refueling, which could condition the punctuality of flights and connections. From Ucaragón they wanted to remember that, even in this context, traveling people retain all the rights collected by the European Regulation 261/2001, including the right to attention, the reimbursement of the ticket or an alternative transport.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that the strikes convened by the personnel of the airlines or handling companies are not an “extraordinary circumstance”, so companies cannot avoid the payment of compensation in case of cancellation or large delays.
Refund, alternative transport and compensation
In case of cancellation, passengers can opt for the reimbursement of the ticket or for an alternative transport that takes them to the final destination as soon as possible, even if it is with another company or means of transport. If the delay exceeds five hours, there is the option of renouncing the flight and claiming the amount paid. In addition, the delays exceeding three hours on the arrival at the destination are entitled to compensation between 250 and 600 euros, depending on the distance of the journey, unless the airline has warned in advance and conditions set by the regulations.
Right to attention and claims
During the wait for a delayed flight or an alternative transport, airlines are required to provide free food, sufficient drinks, communications and, if necessary, accommodation and transport to it. If the company fails, the reasonable expenses assumed by the passenger can be claimed whenever the supporting ones are kept.
The same goes for luggage incidents: any loss, damage or delay must be communicated before leaving the airport so that the company issues the necessary irregularity part to initiate a claim. In any case, from Ucaragón they remember the importance of keeping tickets, shipping cards and any expenditure document or ticket, as well as presenting claims in writing clearly and with all the flight data.
