Lisbon Ground Crew Walkout Wipes 36 Flights, Frustrating Expats

At the height of the summer getaway, scores of would-be holidaymakers and returning residents discovered their flights from Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport suddenly wiped from departure boards. A 24-hour walkout by ground-handling firm Menzies Aviation has forced the cancellation of 36 flights, with knock-on delays spreading throughout the day. For foreigners living in Portugal—or those eyeing a move—the stoppage offers a crash course in how industrial action can disrupt an otherwise reliable aviation hub and what protections Portuguese law affords passengers.

A ripple effect that goes beyond 36 lost departures

What looks modest on paper—just three dozen cancellations among roughly 700 daily movements in Lisbon—masks an outsized impact. Because Menzies services several value-carrier routes, every grounded aircraft frees a gate but strands hundreds of travellers who often rely on a single daily connection. By mid-morning, airport operator ANA was warning of "irregular operations" as the strike slowed baggage unloading, aircraft refuelling and boarding procedures for airlines ranging from easyJet and Transavia to Scandinavian flag-carriers. Some flights managed to depart but left luggage behind, a scenario that could bedevil newcomers still relocating personal belongings to Portugal.

Who is Menzies and why are its crews upset?

Founded in Edinburgh in the 19th century as a newspaper distributor, Menzies Aviation now specialises in assistência em escala—the ground services that keep airports humming. Its Portuguese workforce, represented by the aviation section of Sindicato dos Trabalhadores da Aviação e Aeroportos (SITAVA), says wages have not kept pace with Lisbon’s surging cost of living. Negotiations stalled after management offered what unions describe as a 2.5% pay rise that lags well behind November’s 3.9% inflation rate. Staff also complain of split shifts that stretch a nominal eight-hour day into twelve-hour marathons during peak season.

Immediate practicalities for anyone flying today

If your booking shows Menzies as the handler—information buried in most e-tickets—expect longer queues at check-in, sporadic delays on the tarmac, and the possibility of rerouting through Porto or Faro. ANA advises arriving three hours early for European flights and four hours for transatlantic ones. Digital departure boards may refresh every few minutes; the fastest updates, oddly, still come from individual airline apps. Families with small children can request priority fila from airport staff, though availability varies by terminal.

Know your rights under EU261 and Portugal’s own rules

European Regulation EU261/2004 guarantees meals, hotel stays and, in many cases, cash compensation when a flight is cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice. Because the strike involves a private service provider rather than an unforeseeable "extraordinary circumstance," airlines cannot automatically refuse payouts. The standard refund is €250 for intra-EU hops under 1 500 km, climbing to €400 for longer continental legs and €600 for intercontinental flights. Keep boarding passes, expense receipts and screenshots of cancellation notices; they are gold when filing claims. Portugal’s consumer watchdog DECO offers free templates in English for those wading through paperwork.

Work-arounds while the dispute drags on

Travellers desperate to reach the Algarve quickly are turning to Comboios de Portugal’s Alfa Pendular trains—Lisbon to Faro clocks in at under 3 hours. Spanish high-speed rail from Porto-Campanhã to Madrid, via the new Galicia link, is another fallback for trans-Iberian itineraries. Car-rental counters remain well-stocked, but prices spike during strikes; booking via Portuguese-language portals often shaves 10-15 % off quoted rates. Finally, some expats report success rebooking on carriers that self-handle in Lisbon, such as TAP’s long-haul operation, which uses Groundforce instead of Menzies.

A broader pattern of labour unrest

This is the fourth industrial action to hit Portuguese airports since January, following stoppages at Groundforce in March, security screeners in May, and Portway in early July. Analysts say pressure will mount on the minority government to revisit the sector’s liberalisation, which introduced multiple handlers competing on slim margins. For now, unions threaten further 48-hour walkouts later in August unless wage talks resume. Anyone with flights scheduled around Portugal’s férias season should monitor union bulletins as closely as beach weather forecasts.

The moral for newcomers: Portugal’s famed tranquillity can fray at the airport door. Yet safeguards exist, and with a bit of planning—and a fallback rail ticket—the inconvenience need not upend your summer or your relocation timeline.