Strike traps tourists at airport

Tourists are unable to get from the airport to their hotels

PALMA, Majorca -- Thousands of tourists are stranded at a Mediterranean airport after a strike by coach drivers.

With only 1,000 taxis on the Balearic island of Majorca, tourists are being forced to spend hours in Palma Airport arrivals lounge.

With flights continuing to arrive, officials predict the situation will reach crisis point over the weekend. The airport was due to receive 82,000 passengers on Friday alone.

The coach drivers' three-day strike for better pay and working conditions began on Friday, at what is the peak holiday season.

Holidaymakers from Germany, Britain and Scandinavian are among the worst hit.

"The planes are landing and taking off practically without any delays, but there are thousands of passengers in the terminal areas waiting for transportation out," said a spokesman on the island for Aena, the national airport authority.

At one point in the morning about 7,000 people were stuck in the terminal, but by 0800 GMT that number had been reduced to 3,000, Aena said, with about 18 planes backed up on the tarmac.

Airport spokesman Javier Pons told the UK's Press Association news agency: "The buses are not coming to the airport but the passengers are going by taxi. We have 1,000 taxis working, which are paid by the tour operators.

"It is slower than using buses and people are having to wait. There is a queue, but I don't know how long it is. But the planes are coming and going normally and we will not close the airport today. Closing the airport is a possibility."

Majorca is one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations, and 640 flights carrying 82,000 passengers are due to come and go from its Son San Joan airport on Friday.

Some 2,275 flights are scheduled during the three days of the strike.

Many of the tourists arrive in Majorca on package tours that include transport to hotels, but because of the strike they were left to find scarce taxis or use public transport.

Departing passengers also had difficulty reaching the airport, but Aena reported virtually no flight delays.

Coach drivers from the main trade unions said they were prepared to sit out the entire three days of the strike after failing to reach a new contract agreement with the Balearic Association of Coach Companies.

Association president, Jaume Batle, said: "We've complied with all their demands. There's really not much more we can talk about."

A local reporter for the Majorca Daily Bulletin said queues at Palma airport were growing, despite planes arriving and departing on schedule.

"This could have serious long-term implications for the tourist industry here," he said.

"Many people have told me they will not come back to the island because of the way this has been handled. Some said they would have got better treatment in prison."