Portugal’s Flight Attendants Eye December Strike, Holiday Travelers at Risk

A tense countdown has begun for air passengers in Portugal and beyond. The union representing flight attendants will gather in an emergency meeting this Sunday to decide whether to align with a nationwide work-stoppage planned for 11 December. Should the vote go the way union leaders expect, the country’s airports could face yet another wave of cancellations just as the festive period starts.

Cabin crews prepare a high-stakes vote

The Sindicato Nacional do Pessoal de Voo da Aviação Civil is calling its members to Lisbon on 23 November for an extraordinary assembly. Union officials are publicly urging approval of the walkout, arguing that the proposed labour-law overhaul, unveiled by the Government two weeks ago, threatens "decades of hard-won protections". Cabin crews are already under pressure from irregular schedules, overtime without full pay and what they describe as aggressive minimum-service decrees imposed during previous stoppages. A green light on Sunday would place the SNPVAC alongside the ground staff union SITAVA, which has already confirmed participation, and would broaden a movement spearheaded by the two largest confederations, CGTP and UGT.

Why the reform provokes such resistance

At the heart of the dispute lie amendments that would extend the legal workday, simplify dismissals and tighten rules on union financing. Labour scholars note that Portuguese employment law was tightened after the sovereign-debt crisis but has never faced changes as sweeping as those now proposed. Union lawyers call the plan a "civilisational backslide", warning that it could limit collective bargaining, raise weekly working hours and water down parental leave. Government sources counter that the package merely brings Portugal "closer to northern-European flexibility", a framing that unions dismiss as window dressing.

Turbulence ahead for passengers and tourism

Portugal’s airports are still digesting an autumn marked by rolling strikes at handling company Menzies Aviation, where salary talks have stalled. Over four consecutive long weekends in November, the ground actions forced airlines to re-route luggage, delay departures or scrap frequencies entirely. A cabin-crew stoppage in December would hit an even more visible nerve, as the travel rush to Madeira, the Azores and major European hubs peaks. Analysts at ForwardKeys estimate that a single day of walkout at TAP alone could ground 160 flights, potentially stranding 25 000 travellers and inflicting €7 m in lost revenue across the tourism chain.

Airlines and regulators draft contingency blueprints

Flag carrier TAP says it is "mapping critical routes" and preparing to activate wet-lease agreements should the strike go ahead. SATA and easyJet have issued similar signals, urging customers to keep contact information updated for potential re-booking notices. The civil-aviation authority ANAC is working with the Cabinet Office on minimum-service thresholds, mindful of past court battles in which unions accused the state of over-reaching. Consumer-rights groups remind passengers that European Regulation 261/2004 applies: airlines must offer rerouting or refunds when cancellations are confirmed, regardless of industrial-relations motives. Insurance brokers report a surge in calls from holidaymakers considering add-on coverage for work-action disruption.

Countdown to 11 December and possible spill-overs

Sunday’s ballot is only the first marker on a calendar thick with potential flashpoints. Should flight attendants vote yes, formal strike notices would need to be filed by the end of the month, opening a legal window for mediation. The Government insists it will keep its reform bill intact, betting that a slowing economy and fears of lost Christmas income will sap public sympathy for stoppages. Union leaders, however, hint at coordinated action spilling into early 2026 if the legislation passes unchanged. For now, travellers can do little more than follow airline alerts and hope that negotiations on Rua de São Bento cool before departure boards light up with the word everyone dreads: Cancelled.