Ground crews start 76-day protest, imperiling Portugal holiday flights

Hushed conversations in Lisbon Airport’s departures hall this morning all revolve around the same question: will my flight actually take off? A fresh wave of industrial action by SPdH/Menzies ground staff began overnight and—unless a last-minute truce is found—on-and-off stoppages will shadow Portugal’s main gateways right through the New Year. For foreign residents planning a quick business hop to Madrid, or newcomers expecting relatives over the holidays, the prospect of 76 separate strike days could spell a season of rerouted journeys and long queues.

Why the people beneath the wings matter so much

From pushing back the aircraft to loading your suitcase, ground handlers are the spine of airport operations. SPdH, marketed internationally as Menzies Aviation after its Scottish parent, controls this work at Lisbon, Porto, Faro and half a dozen island airports. If their staff walk out—even briefly—airlines can land but often cannot depart, creating a domino effect across Europe’s tightly timed schedules. Seasoned expats may remember July’s walkouts that left luggage piling up beside the belts; the same workers are now staging a prolonged campaign, saying pay grids have barely moved while tourism revenues soared past pre-pandemic levels.

The calendar of turbulence

Unlike a continuous shutdown, the unions have opted for rolling stoppages targeted at high-traffic windows. The first 48-hour action runs from 00:00 today until 23:59 tomorrow. Another three-day pause follows on 12-15 September, and almost every long weekend thereafter is earmarked. October is riddled with four-day strikes, and November’s pattern is even denser. The longest stretch begins 19 December and is slated to last until 2 January, covering both Christmas and New Year’s getaway peaks. If you scroll through your airline’s app and see a flight touching Portuguese soil during these periods, build in extra slack—re-booking on the morning after a strike ends is often safer than gambling on a departure during it.

The tug-of-war: pay scales, rosters, and legal limits

Two unions—SIMA (representing metal and related trades) and the STA transport syndicate—insist wages must be indexed to inflation and overtime rules rewritten. Management counters that a collective agreement running until 2029 already locks in gradual raises and that any mid-term renegotiation would “destabilise cost structures.” In August, mediation hosted by the Ministry of Labour briefly cooled tempers, but talks collapsed once the unions learned the government-appointed Arbitration Court had imposed “minimum services” equating to roughly 80% of normal traffic. Union officials claim such a high threshold neuters their right to strike; the company says anything lower would cripple the country’s tourism lifeline.

Decoding Portugal’s “minimum-service” concept

Portuguese law allows the state to compel certain sectors—health, transport, energy—to keep operating at a bare minimum during stoppages. The idea is to protect citizens’ fundamental mobility rights while respecting workers’ right to protest. In aviation, however, defining that minimum has become the political lightning rod. The current ruling effectively forces hundreds of ground staff to clock in even on strike days. Legal scholars note that unions can appeal, but court decisions rarely shift in time to affect the immediate strike schedule. For foreigners wondering why flights sometimes leave despite a strike notice, this blend of compulsory staffing and last-minute volunteerism is the reason.

Survival guide for travellers and new residents

Check-in queues will swell first thing each morning as airlines gauge whether enough handlers reported for duty. If your flight is scrapped inside 14 days of departure, European regulation EC 261/2004 gives you rights to rerouting or reimbursement—and, in some cases, compensation up to €600 unless the carrier proves the cancellation was outside its control. Pack essentials in cabin luggage because reunions with checked bags can be delayed during industrial action. Rail operator Comboios de Portugal has added extra Alfa Pendular services between Lisbon and Porto on strike days, while long-distance bus networks remain unaffected. If you live in Portugal and expect guests, warn them to keep boarding passes and disruption notices; these documents smooth the claims process later.

What this means for Portugal’s aviation ambitions

The dispute lands just as the government finalises site selection for a long-delayed new Lisbon airport—a project touted as the answer to chronic slot shortages. Industry analysts worry that persistent labour unrest could erode confidence among carriers choosing where to deploy next summer’s capacity. Tourism represents almost 16% of Portugal’s GDP, and even minor schedule hiccups ripple through hotels, rental cars and restaurants that rely on the steady flow of arrivals. For now, the wager is whether unions gain leverage by threatening holiday chaos or whether public frustration forces a quicker compromise. Either way, expats should brace for a season in which flight planning becomes as much an art as a science.