Spain: Strike at Barcelona Airport suspended /update 7

Event

A long-running strike by security personnel at Barcelona-El Prat International Airport (BCN) has been suspended following the August 17 terrorist attack in the city. It is unclear if calls for associated strikes at other Spanish airports (in Valencia, Alicante, A Coruña, and Santiago de Compostela) will be dropped as well. The strike(s) could potentially resume in the coming days or weeks.

Context

A van drove onto Barcelona's Las Ramblas pedestrian street, an area popular with tourists and locals, around 17:00 (local time) on August 17, killing 13 people and wounding more than 100 others. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility. Police thwarted what is believed to have been a second attack attempt in the town of Cambrils, located some 100 km (60 mi) away, later that night.

Spanish security forces had stepped in to replace airport security agents at BCN during the strike but following Thursday’s events it has been decided that these forces are needed elsewhere.

Advice

Travelers are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to contact their airlines for further details.