Unions have urged Spain-based Easyjet cabin crew to go on nine-day strike in July amid a wage dispute.
The exit would compound passenger woes as airlines struggle to cope with demand following the lifting of Covid restrictions.
Easyjet has had to cancel thousands of flights this summer due to staff shortages at Gatwick.
Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport is still clearing mountains of luggage, resulting in 5,000 flight cancellations on Monday
Easyjet and Spain’s USO union have been in talks over cabin crew salaries since February, but are now in a “gridlocked situation,” the union said.
It has called a series of 24-hour strikes throughout July that could affect British holidaymakers.
Union members working in El Prat, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca will resign from July 1-3, July 15-17 and July 29-31, the union said.
Miguel Galan, USO general secretary of EasyJet Malaga, said flight attendants want a 40 percent increase in their base salaries.
He said the Spanish cabin crew’s pay was not comparable to that of their French or German counterparts.
Easyjet’s Spanish crew will be paid a basic salary of 950 euros a month (£816), the union said, not counting bonuses and additional salaries.
But the union, which it says represents 80% of Easyjet’s 450 workers in Spain, remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached at a meeting with management on Tuesday to avoid the strikes, Mr Galan said.
Easyjet was contacted for comment.
According to the European Trade Union Institute, strikes are a fundamental right in Spain and strikes affecting a company can be called by unions, workers’ representatives or workers themselves.
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British holidaymakers have faced disruptions to their flights in recent months as airlines and airports struggled to cope with increased demand after shedding workers during the Covid lockdowns.
On Monday, Easyjet said it would cancel flights between July and September after Gatwick Airport said it would reduce the number of flights during the summer peak season due to staff shortages.
Also on Monday, around 30 flights carrying up to 5,000 passengers were canceled at Heathrow Airport due to baggage handling problems.
On Tuesday, Heathrow said the backlog, which the BBC knows includes thousands of bags, is being “cleaned up”.
The baggage system has been “secure and operational” since the weekend, a spokeswoman said, adding that “bags are being sent to their destinations.”
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