A day of travel chaos caused by a strike at Barcelona's airport

[IMG=20587-6351] Around 2,000 ground staff held a day-long strike at Barcelona airport on Friday and blocked the runway. This information was confirmed by Russian tour operators that specialize in the Spanish market. The airport was closed for the entire day, sparking a massive backlog on one of the busiest weekends of the summer holidays. The industrial action affected, in particular, passengers of a scheduled Aeroflot flight SU 287 operated by TU-154. According to Aeroflot Press Service, the flight was scheduled for 10.15 a.m. but was initially delayed until 4 p.m. However, at 6 p.m. the passengers of the flight were still at the airport in Moscow. They were provided with drinks and meals. The flight was planned for 11.55 p.m. Furthermore, Roman Ribakov, PR Director of TEZ TOUR said in the interview to a BANKO correspondent that a Moscow – Barcelona flight operated by KD-avia had to land in Mallorca. ‘Representatives of TEZ TOUR in Mallorca deal with the tourists. At the moment it is planned to transfer them to continental Spain via an alternative airport located 50 kilometers far from Barcelona’, added Ribakov. The industrial action, is thought to have affected up to thousands Russian tourists traveling to Barcelona by Saturday flights. For example, at the web site of Natalie Tours eight programs operated on Saturdays are announced – four flights by Transaero, two – by Aeroflot, one - by S7 Airlines and one flight by VIM-avia. ‘The implications of the strike were evident on its first day: airlines and ground authorities know about the situation. At the moment alternatives schemes for flight handling are being elaborated’, said Tatiana Chuvilkina, General Director Deputy of Natalie Tours, in the interview to a BANKO correspondent on July 28th.