Delays for Irish tourists to Balearic Islands

Thousands of Irish tourists travelling to the Balearic islands today are facing long delays as Spanish coach drivers continued…

Thousands of Irish tourists travelling to the Balearic islands today are facing long delays as Spanish coach drivers continued to strike.

Aer Rianta said it was expecting long delays for the 15 scheduled flights to or from the Islands today.

Holidaymakers who flew into the popular sunshine isles of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza yesterday were forced to queue for up to three hours for taxis to their apartments.

Some 300,000 tourists are expected to arrive at the Balearic islands over the next few days with 135,000 due to arrive at Palma airport in Majorca today.

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Irish airport officials are urging an estimated 10,000 Irish holidaymakers to contact their tour operators before travelling. They added that should the strike continue and result in Majorca’s Palma Airport being closed, flights from Irish airports may be cancelled.

Hundreds of taxis have been ferrying people from the airport but a spokesman said: "If the strike goes on it will get worse."

He added they did not expect to close the airport and had set up refreshments, blankets and seating in an old terminal as a contingency plan.

The industrial action, which began at midnight on Thursday, was triggered by a dispute over pay and is expected to finish tomorrow evening

The coach drivers are striking over a 3 per cent pay row. Talks in Madrid between management and the two unions representing the drivers broke down yesterday.

PA