Over 60,000 ground airport workers in Spain have called off planned industrial action, which could have caused major disruption for British holidaymakers.
The strike was scheduled for later this month, which would have affected tens of thousands of sun seekers.
The strikes were due to take place in popular airports such as Barcelona, Alicante, Majorca and in both the Balearic and Canary Islands.
Last night the three unions involved – UCT, CCOO and USO – cancelled the proposed action, reaching an agreement with the country’s airport authority, AENA.
The planned strike was the result of a worker who was made redundant by an airline without being offered another position in the company.
The ground staff were due to walk out for 24 hours on August 18th and August 26th. If the strike had gone ahead it was estimated that 6,000 flights would have been affected on each day.
The first day of industrial action would have caused travel misery for Pope Benedict XVI as the planned strikes coincided with his visit to Madrid for World Youth Day celebrations.
Millions of pilgrims are expected to flock to the city for the three day papal visit.
The planned strike would have come in the heat of the summer when Spanish airports are at their busiest, with millions passing through the gates.
Spain is still the most popular destination for British holidaymakers with Malaga, Alicante and Palma de Mallorca being the top three most popular areas.
11 million British travellers visit Spain each year, with 2 million visiting in August alone.
In a separate industrial dispute, the strikes on the Spanish underground which are also starting on August 18th will go ahead, as well as 24-hour strikes on August 20th and August 21st.
