Flying Through Palma This Week? Here's What the Strikes Mean for
If Mallorca is on your travel plans over the next couple of weeks, there's a bit of extra planning to do before you head to the airport. Palma Airport is in the middle of a run of industrial action from two separate groups of workers, and it's worth knowing exactly what's affected and when.
Who's striking, and when
The first wave comes from metal sector staff — the people responsible for keeping baggage belts, sorting systems and tarmac vehicles running, as well as attaching boarding bridges to aircraft. They've called a series of walkouts across the whole Balearic Islands, running from Monday 27 July through to Thursday 30 July.
Layered on top of that, Swissport staff — who handle airline check-in desks, baggage, and ramp services at Palma Airport — are staging their own strikes from Tuesday 28 July. Their walkouts are timed for peak periods: 7am to 12pm and 7pm to 10pm on Tuesday, with further action planned for August 1, 4 and 8, as part of a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The overlap on Tuesday 28 July is the one to watch most closely — that's when both sets of strikes are running at the same time, and the airport has specifically flagged it as the day most likely to see disruption.
How bad will it actually be?
Under Spanish law, strikes can't bring airport operations to a complete halt, but they don't guarantee full service either. Palma Airport's own figures suggest that on high-demand international routes, only around 50-60% of flights are guaranteed to run. Inter-island flights are better protected, with 100% guaranteed, and domestic flights should see 70-80% operating as normal.
The airport has been fairly reassuring about the overall picture, saying that widespread cancellations are unlikely. The more realistic scenario, in their words, is longer waiting times and operational bottlenecks — think delays at check-in and bag drop, slower boarding during the morning and evening walkout windows, and waits at baggage carousels once you land.
Who's most likely to feel it
If you're flying with an airline handled by Swissport — TUI is among them — you're the group most exposed to disruption, since Swissport staff manage check-in, baggage and ramp services directly.
But the metal sector strike casts a wider net. Because those workers maintain baggage systems and tarmac equipment across the board, their walkout from 27-30 July affects every airline operating at Palma, as well as Ibiza and Menorca — that includes Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2, regardless of who handles their ground services. Expect this to show up mainly as slower baggage carousels and longer aircraft turnaround times.
How to make your journey smoother
The airport has put out some practical advice for anyone flying through during the strike period:
- Pack light and go carry-on only where you can. Skipping hold luggage means you can bypass check-in queues and avoid waiting at the carousel on arrival.
- Check in online in advance. It cuts down on time spent queueing at the airport itself.
- Keep your airline's app open. Updates on delays or changes are likely to come through there first.
- Stick to your airline's recommended arrival window — typically two to three hours before departure. The airport was clear that turning up much earlier than that isn't a safety net; it's more likely to add to congestion than avoid it.
The bottom line
Nothing here points to chaos, but if you're flying to or from Mallorca — especially on Tuesday 28 July — build in a bit of extra buffer time, travel as light as you comfortably can, and keep half an eye on your airline's app in the days beforehand. A little preparation should be enough to keep the strikes from derailing your trip.
