Catalonia – a region in Spain – has been the scene of huge riots as citizens battle for Catalan independence from Spain.
Fighting between Spanish and Catalonian locals has sparked outrage across the globe as the violence spreads between protesters and the police.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued a warning to travellers to stay vigilant as the protests can quickly spread and has descended into violence.
Iberia airline has recently changed their flight rules to allow flexibility.
The airline is offering passengers more flight flexibility, allowing them to change their dates without an additional cost.
Newspaper El Periódico de Cataluña stated American Airlines, under the joint business with Iberia commented: “Possible demonstrations, which can take place between October 3 and 13, can affect your travel plans.
“We are offering you additional flexibility that allows you to change your travel plans at no cost.”
American Airlines told Express.co.uk: “Waivers provide additional flexibility if a customer wants to change their travel plans within a few days.
“In this specific case, American did not issue a waiver for Barcelona. Iberia issued a waiver, which under our joint business, we matched.
“Our flight schedule to/from Barcelona has not changed. For more information please log onto AA.com.”
However, this huge change to bookings shows the seriousness of the crisis, due to it being something they have done before for other catastrophes around the world such as the hurricanes in the Caribbean or the Mexico earthquakes.
The riots in Barcelona shocked the travel industry, with the popular destination for British tourists not offering any additional security measures or information for travellers.
Tourism is a huge part of the country’s income, with over 12 million Britons heading to Spain every year.
The FCO has stated: “Demonstrations have taken place in Barcelona and other areas of the Catalonia region and may continue for some days.
“They may occur with little or no warning and even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can escalate and turn confrontational.
“You should exercise caution if you’re in the vicinity.”
It is thought that the current fighting between the government and the locals in Spain could even cause the end of the EU.
LBC radio host Nick Ferrari revealed: “If Catalonia spins out of Spain, the Basque region will spin out of Spain, Bavaria will spin out of Germany, Silesia will spin out of Poland, you haven’t got an EU anymore.”
Images have emerged of police violently attacking some of the peaceful protested with rubber bullets and batons.
The European Commission has come under fire for not addressing the situation.
