PICTURES of airports that resemble refugee camps inspire the same thought in every traveller. There but for the grace of coach drivers/baggage handlers/air traffic controllers go I.

British holidaymakers should have been stretched out on a Spanish beach lapping up the sunshine. Instead, they were curled up on an airport floor. The moment they had planned for, saved for, looked forward to for a year had become a grim endurance test.

As victims of the coach drivers' strike on the Balearic Islands, their holiday is one they will never forget, for all the wrong reasons. Some had their holidays cancelled altogether. Others faced a 50-hour wait for a flight. No wonder they are exhausted and angry.

Jetting off to the sun has become so commonplace that we tend to take it for granted. The chaos caused by the Spanish dispute is a reminder of the complex infrastructure underpinning international air travel, and how easily it can be subverted.

The coach drivers timed their walkout to cause maximum disruption. They did not have to risk the sympathy of their compatriots because it was foreign holidaymakers who suffered.

The good news, for those with Spanish holidays imminent, is that this strike is over. The bad news is it may presage a summer of problems.

There are conflicting reports as to whether the dispute has been permanently resolved. If not satisfied, the coach drivers will be quick to wield the power of their monopoly again. Other airport staff might be tempted to follow their highly successful strategy.

It is a depressing prospect. All the Government can do is diplomatically urge our European partners to anticipate and resolve potential disputes.

British tour operators, meanwhile, should learn lessons. Stranded holidaymakers complained of a lack of information and of basic refreshments.

It may be that tour staff, overwhelmed by the scale of this weekend's problems, are inadequately trained in crisis management. This deficiency must be addressed urgently, in preparation for what could be a difficult summer.

Updated: 10:29 Monday, July 02, 2001