Will planes fly in the Canary Islands on 11 November?

The minimum services for flights in the Canary Islands had not been published so far. Reports speak of possible delays and cancellations on flights to, from and within Spain.

What does 90% security staff at airports mean?

At least 90% of private security staff at airports and ports must work. That does not mean 90% of flights or ships will run.

Do I get my money back if my flight is cancelled?

According to reports, passengers have a right to rebooking or a refund if a flight is cancelled. Extra compensation is normally not paid because of the “extraordinary circumstances”.

Why are CCOO and UGT striking on 11 November?

The unions cite pay, the housing crisis, stalled collective bargaining and lost purchasing power. In the Canary Islands they point to 211,000 empty homes.

When will the minimum transport services be published?

According to reports, they appear in an order a few days before the strike. For the Canary Islands, it had not been published by 5 November.

Canary Islands strike 11 November: 90% airport security

What changes for travellers at airports and ports on 11 November?

The general strike on Wednesday 11 November 2026 lasts 24 hours and also applies in the Canary Islands. Reports warn of delays and cancellations on flights to, from and within Spain.

Private security staff at Canary Islands airports and ports face a minimum quota of 90%. Most guards therefore stay at work, but the quota says nothing about how many flights and ferries run.

Reports say the minimum transport services will appear in an order a few days before the strike. Anyone travelling on 11 November should check their booking and flight status with the airline or ferry company.

No details have been published for individual airports or port towns, such as those in the south of the islands. AENA, the airport operator, has not published a statement either.

What exactly applies to private security firms?

The 90% minimum covers private security staff at airports, ports, railways and telecoms centres. For certain personal protection services it is 85%.

For media and alarm centres it is 80%, and at least one guard must stay on duty in each affected service. The rule also covers shifts that start or end before or after midnight on 11 November.

Nobody has confirmed who set this quota. The available reports name no legal basis, no security firms involved and no staff numbers.

A minimum service of around 90% for security staff is nothing new at Spanish airports. Reports cite this level for Barajas in 2018 and El Prat in 2019, but the details are unchecked.

Who is striking, and what do the unions want?

CCOO and UGT called the strike, their first joint general strike in 14 years. The last comparable one took place on 14 November 2012.

In the Canary Islands, reports say Frente Sindical Obrero de Canarias and Federación Sindical Canaria also back the call. The teachers' union STEC-IC has made its own announcement for the education sector.

The unions cite better pay, the housing crisis, stalled collective bargaining and lost purchasing power. By their own figures, which are not independently checked, 211,000 homes stand empty in the Canary Islands.

The unions say wages here are among the lowest in Spain, around 500 euros below the Spanish average. They demand that 20% of the empty homes be put up for rent.

Manuel Navarro (UGT) says: “It is a labour strike, but without denying the political side”. Vanesa Frahija (CCOO) considers it political to demand decent housing and better social benefits.

What rights do passengers have if flights are cancelled?

Passengers have a right to rebooking or a refund if a flight is cancelled, according to the reports. This is general information, not a finding for the Canary Islands.

Strikes usually count as “extraordinary circumstances”, so there is normally no extra compensation. The reports do not say whether this applies to any particular flight.

The employers' association CEOE does not plan to challenge the strike in court. Strikers receive no pay for time not worked, and taking part is voluntary and individual.

Workers who cannot get to work because of the strike keep their full pay, according to a legal note from the law firm Cuatrecasas. Pay is deducted only from strikers, and only for the time they actually did not work.

What is still open, and what happens next?

The Transport Ministry order on minimum services for flights, ferries and ports in the Canary Islands has not yet been found. Also missing are minimum services for guaguas (local buses) and trams, rally locations and times, and the text in the BOC (the Canary Islands official gazette).

During the 2012 general strike, the Transport Ministry kept around 50% of flights between the mainland and the Canary Islands running, according to an unchecked note. No such figure is confirmed for 11 November.

Daniel Casal of the FSC does not rule out a later strike in the Canary Islands alone. This strike comes before the new election on 29 November.

The minimum transport services are expected in the days before 11 November. Until then, check flight status and ferry company notices regularly.