Threatened strike action by Spanish airport workers over Easter and into the summer could lead to massive flight disruption.
The European Commission has been urged to intervene to prevent air traffic chaos starting ahead of the Easter holiday weekend.
A dispute involving Aena, the Spanish state-owned firm which runs Spain’s key airports, could mean a total of 22 days of stoppages from April 20 and spreading into summer.
All 47 Spanish airports could be closed if 12,500 workers walk out.
The dispute is also likely to hit flights to Portugal and Morocco as they use Spanish airspace. It will cause chaos on Europe’s busiest routes with an estimated 100,000 passengers flying between the UK and Spain each day at peak periods.
Ryanair demanded EU action to prevent a repeat of the air travel misery which blighted flights across Europe last year, although Aena says baggage handlers and air traffic controllers will not be affected,
The planned stoppages are a protest against Spanish government plans to sell off parts of the company.
Action is being targeted to start on April 20, disrupting Easter weekend holiday flights.
Strike organisers have earmarked dates in May, June, July and August for more industrial action, involving airport runway staff.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “Europe’s airlines and passengers suffered at the hands of air traffic control providers throughout 2010.
“Now, ahead of yet another Spanish strike, Ryanair is calling on the EU to take action to prevent further strike action.”
Speaking in Madrid, he said: “Action must be taken at EU level to ensure that the ‘right to strike’ is removed from essential airport services, and competition must be introduced across Europe’s air traffic control providers to ensure that a strike in one country is not allowed to disrupt millions of passengers’ travel plans.”
Ryanair is calling for open competition in national air traffic control systems as part of a European network which would allow one country to manage the airspace of neighbouring countries to prevent flights being cancelled or delayed during strikes
European airport services are essential and should be protected by anti-strike clauses, the airline argues.