More than 100 flights were cancelled at El Prat after demonstrators blocked off access routes to the travel hub to protest jail terms for Catalan separatist leaders
More than 100 flights were cancelled at Barcelona’s Josep Tarradellas-El Prat airport on Monday after thousands of independence supporters blocked access routes in an organized protest against a Supreme Court ruling that sentenced nine separatist leaders to prison terms for the illegal secession attempt of 2017.
Officers from the National Police and the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, charged against demonstrators in a bid to reopen road, train and subway access points to the busy travel hub.
The Spanish airport authority, Aena, said that flights were cancelled after crews were unable to reach their aircraft. And by 5pm, passengers trying to travel to the city center found themselves waiting in long lines for buses and taxis that were being obstructed by enormous crowds of protesters.