I've just been looking at "La Voz" and "El Mundo" and it looks like there is an Air Traffic Controllers "problem" (not a strike, just an - organised ?? - shortage of controllers). do any of you with ears to the ground in Lanza know how it's affecting flights in and out of Arrecife ???

The first of many airport worker strikes planned for this month. Though offiically this one was just a sudden walk out with them all claiming to be sick just before our major holiday of 6th-8th Dec.
The controllers had their maximum permitted hours worked raised by the Spanish government from 1200 to 1670 hours a year as an austerity cut, so will now get less overtime for all the extra hours they work. The whole airline business is also up in arms about the semi-privatisation of AENA. The gov is selling off 49% to raise cash.
Spanish military have taken over air traffic control now. But they can´t take over all the other airport operations too...

Ryanair and Iberia have both cancelled all todays flights in or out of spain. Looks like there's little or no flights in or out of arrecife airport at present I'm afraid.

It's all hit the headlines here this morning too. For us it just amounts to another spanner in the works conspiring against us getting to Lanza next Saturday. We're still in doubt about being able to travel to the airport, never mind whether the flight will get away. Oh well, back to snow clearing operations !!!!!

The Government declared a state of emergency, ATC was ceded to the military. The controllers were placed under military law and given a choice, return to work or face a possible long jail sentence.
They opted to return to work!

This seems very strange to me ! Ireland is bankrupt,Greece is bankrupt and Spain is heading that way. The government try and introduce austerity measures because the air traffic controllers have been overpaid for too long,and they all walk out. This will do no favours for the travel industry in Spain or on the Islands.