THOUSANDS of holidaymakers across the region face further misery today because of a general strike in Spain.

Tour operators and airports in the North-East are bracing themselves for airline chaos - with an estimated 80,000 holidaymakers nationwide expected to be hit.

Today's strike, which began at midnight and ends at midnight tonight, is expected to disrupt five flights from Teesside Airport, to Palma in Majorca, Arrecife in Lanzarote, Malaga in Spain and Faro in Portugal.

Passengers on four flights from Newcastle to Alicante, Palma, Malaga and Mahon, in Menorca, could also face lengthy delays.

A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport said passengers travelling in Europe over the next few days should contact their airline or tour company - not the airport - for the latest information.

The strike follows an unconnected walk-out by European air traffic control operators yesterday, which effectively closed French airspace and left thousands of passengers stranded.

Two flights by Manchester-based My Travel - formerly Airtours - were delayed for 18 hours yesterday because of strikes in Zante, Greece. Hundreds of flights were cancelled around the country, and Heathrow was turned into a ghost town.

Passengers travelling from Newcastle to Rhodes were delayed by three hours, and four flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Paris, were cancelled, along with a KLM flight to Amsterdam.

This morning's 7.15am flight to Paris has also been cancelled as a knock-on effect from yesterday, when air traffic controllers in France, Italy, Portugal and Greece walked out in protest at plans to introduce a "single airspace" across Europe.

But all other Air France flights from Newcastle should be unaffected today.

Passengers are being advised to check in as normal unless they have been contacted by their tour operators.

Andrea Lambell, 35, of Darlington, had to postpone a trip with her six-year-old daughter, Hannah, to Disneyland Paris yesterday.

She said: "Hannah was very upset -she was in tears when I told her. But Air France was very good and we have rearranged the holiday for a later date."

Teesside Airport was unaffected yesterday, but passengers should expect "significant" delays today.

A spokesman for the airport said: "Some of the passengers that were going to be flying from Teesside will be flying from another airport.

"Some of the airlines are trying to amalgamate two small flights into one big one, to try to minimise disruption.

"We would just advise passengers to check in for their flights unless they have been advised otherwise by their tour operators."

Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, said: "There is no way of predicting how much flights will be affected.

"But tour operators are making good contingency plans and have employed extra staff at the airports."

He said both strikes were one-offs and no further major action was planned.

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: "Passengers should be prepared for delays and bring extra provisions, and essential personal items should be in their hand luggage.

* Contacts: Britannia Airlines: 0870 577 7990; My Travel: 01706 909050; Air France: 0845 0845 010. Newcastle Airport.