LISBON- easyJet (U2) has begun a five-day cabin crew strike in Portugal, disrupting flights at Lisbon Airport (LIS), Porto Airport (OPO) and Faro Airport (FAO).
The National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) says the airline has cancelled 443 scheduled flights from its three Portuguese bases, representing approximately 80% of the flights affected by the industrial action.
The strike is scheduled to run until Tuesday, with the dispute centred on working conditions, pay progression and the stability of flight schedules.
EasyJet expects to operate around 55% of its scheduled flights during the period, partly by maintaining services operated by crews and aircraft based elsewhere in Europe.
EasyJet Flight Cancellations
According to SNPVAC leader Ana Dias, easyJet has cancelled 443 flights scheduled to operate from Lisbon, Porto and Faro during the five-day strike.
The cancellations are expected to affect passengers travelling domestically and internationally through Portugal’s major airports.
The union has warned that the disruption could extend beyond the flights already cancelled.
Some services may still operate using aircraft and cabin crew from other European bases, allowing easyJet to maintain part of its Portuguese schedule despite the walkout.
The scale of the cancellations highlights the impact of the industrial action on the airline’s operations in Portugal.
Passengers travelling during the strike period may face cancelled services, changes to their travel plans and the need to arrange alternative connections.
EasyJet Plans Reduced Operations
EasyJet has said it expects to operate approximately 55% of its scheduled flights during the strike.
The airline explained that its operations include minimum services accounting for around 22% of its Portugal-based flights, alongside services to and from Portugal operated by crews and aircraft from other European bases.
The carrier maintains that its contingency arrangements comply with applicable laws and regulations.
However, SNPVAC disputes the use of employees from other bases to cover flights affected by striking cabin crew and has described the practice as illegal.
The disagreement could develop into a legal dispute, as the union has indicated that it may take the matter to court. SNPVAC also alleges that crews arriving in Porto from France could operate flights intended to replace services affected by the strike.
The competing positions underline the continuing disagreement between the airline and its cabin crew representatives over how operations should be maintained during industrial action.
Pay And Working Conditions
The strike follows disagreements between easyJet and SNPVAC over several employment issues.
The union’s demands include greater stability in flight schedules, pay progression linked to employees’ length of service and changes to proposals discussed during negotiations for the company agreement.
These issues form part of wider negotiations over cabin crew employment conditions in Portugal. The strike has brought the dispute into the airline’s daily operations, affecting passengers as well as employees working at the three Portuguese bases.
Further disruption could follow in December, as SNPVAC has scheduled another five-day cabin crew strike from 19 to 23 December.
The timing could affect passengers travelling during the busy Christmas period, although the eventual operational impact will depend on developments in the dispute and the airline’s response.
Passengers with bookings during either strike period should check their flight status directly with easyJet before travelling to the airport, Portugal Resident flagged.
They should also monitor notifications from the airline for any changes to departure times or arrangements.
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