Up to 10,000 Irish holidaymakers will be affected this weekend if a bus strike in the Spanish Balearic Islands continues. The strike over a pay dispute began on Thursday. Coach drivers said it would continue until Sunday night. Three airports in Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza have been affected and talks to resolve the dispute ended in failure yesterday afternoon.
Up to 7,000 people were stranded yesterday morning in Majorca's Palma Airport as no coaches were operating to transfer people to hotels. The numbers were reduced when some passengers took taxis. It is unlikely many Irish passengers were affected as most charter flights from the Republic to the islands depart at the weekend.
People going to the airports are also affected. Tour operators here said if the strike continued today they would be unable to transfer people to airports from their hotels.
Irish airport officials are urging those travelling to the islands to contact their tour operators before leaving home in case outbound flights are cancelled or delayed.
Should the strike continue and the Balearic Islands' airports closed due to congestion, flights from Irish airports may be cancelled, an official at Dublin Airport said. This would also cause congestion at airports here. Of the more than 50 flights to and from the Balearic Islands from the Republic this weekend, more than 40 leave and return to Dublin.
Tour operators have asked people travelling with small children to bring extra nappies and baby food, and for people on medication to travel with medicine in their hand luggage. Passengers should also take drinks and snacks.
A spokesman for Palma airport said he did not expect the airport to close and had set up refreshments, blankets and seating in an old terminal as a contingency plan.
Among other tour operators flying to the islands, some 5,000 passengers will travel to and from the islands with Budget Travel, with 750 travelling with Panorama.
A total of 300,000 tourists are expected to arrive in the Balearic Islands this weekend.