Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- The Spanish government approved an emergency declaration Saturday allowing authorities to prosecute air traffic controllers who refuse to work, officials said, after the workers declared a strike Friday.
After the declaration is published in the government's official bulletin, air traffic controllers who do not report to work could be charged with the crime of disobedience and face prison time, Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told reporters.
Spain's constitution says such a state of alert can last for as long as 15 days, he said.
The declaration comes after a surprise strike from air traffic controllers paralyzed the nation's airports during a busy travel weekend.
Spain's airport authority said Spanish airspace would be closed at least until 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET) Saturday because of the continued strike.
The authority, AENA, recommended passengers not go to the airport and instead get in touch with their airlines.
Spanish airline Iberia and budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair canceled all flights to and from Spain at least through Sunday morning. Ryanair and easyJet said their cancellations also applied to flights to Porgugal and the Canary Islands.
All flights from Paris into Spain were canceled Saturday, the Paris airport authority said.
Air traffic controllers went on strike Friday, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and prompting the Spanish government to bring in the military to control the air space.
Many of the stranded passengers described being stuck on planes on airport tarmacs. They included families with young children trying to set off on a vacation over the long holiday that continues in Spain through next Wednesday. CNN
