Just days after strikes planned for August were cancelled, a new wave of industrial action is set to disrupt travel across Portugal from September 2025 to January 2026. The stoppages are planned to occur in alternating periods targeting critical travel windows such as long weekends, Christmas, and New Year.
Dates and locations for the new Portugal airport strikes
The industrial action is scheduled to affect all national airports across Portugal. The strike notice covers an extended period from 3rd September 2025 until 2nd January 2026.
For September 2025, the union has detailed several specific strike windows:
- The first action will run from midnight on 3rd to midnight on 9th September.
- A second stoppage is scheduled between 12th and 15th September.
- A third will take place from 19th to 22nd September.
- The final action for the month is planned between 26th and 28th September.
How will the airport strikes affect flights in Portugal?
Held by ground handling staff at Menzies, the industrial action is expected to cause significant disruption to air travel across Portugal. Passengers should anticipate potential flight delays and cancellations at all national airports throughout the strike periods.
The impact could be particularly severe as the stoppages have been strategically scheduled to coincide with periods of high passenger traffic, including long weekends and the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Will UK flights to Portugal be affected?
Flights operating between the UK and Portugal are highly likely to be affected by the industrial action. The strikes will impact all of Portugal's main airports, including the popular destinations for British tourists such as Faro (FAO), Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), and Madeira (FNC).
Menzies Aviation, the company whose staff are striking, holds a 65% market share for ground and air cargo services in Portugal and serves many leading global airlines. Given its dominant position, it is probable that numerous carriers operating UK routes will experience disruption.
Strike calendar: October to December 2025
Following the initial stoppages in September, the industrial action by Menzies' ground handling staff is set to continue with a series of scheduled walkouts targeting weekends throughout autumn and the Christmas period. The planned strike dates for the remainder of the year:
October 2025:
- Friday 3rd to Monday 6th October
- Friday 10th to Monday 13th October
- Friday 17th to Monday 20th October
- Friday 24th to Monday 27th October
- Friday 31st October to Monday 3rd November
November 2025:
- Friday 7th to Monday 10th November
- Friday 14th to Monday 17th November
- Friday 21st to Monday 24th November
- Friday 28th November to Monday 1st December
December 2025 and January 2026:
- Friday 5th to Monday 8th December
- Friday 12th to Monday 15th December
- Friday 19th December to Friday 2nd January 2026, covering the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Reasons behind the new airport strikes in 2025
The industrial action stems from a series of demands made by the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA) regarding pay and working conditions for Menzies staff. Central to the dispute is the demand to end base salaries that fall below Portugal's national minimum wage of €870 per month.
SIMA also insists on maintaining existing worker benefits, such as access to parking, ensuring correct payment for night shifts, and honouring agreements that were previously signed.
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