Portugal's New Year Airport Strike: Expect Delays and Canceled Flights

Portugal’s end-of-year air traffic will not come to a complete standstill, but holidaymakers should brace for slower queues and the occasional cancelled flight. A 24-hour strike by ground-handling workers threatens to squeeze airports from the first minute of 31 December through to midnight on 1 January, and although an arbitration panel has imposed minimum service rules, the walk-out lands at the very peak of festive travel.

Snapshot for busy travellers

• Duration: 00:00 31 Dec → 00:00 1 Jan

• Airports impacted: all mainland hubs plus Madeira

• Unions behind the action: SITAVA and STHAA

• Core demand: written job-security guarantees for 3,700+ SPdH/Menzies employees

• Minimum operations: at least 1 daily round-trip to each Azores island and Madeira, plus flights for emergencies, military and State duties

Why the row erupted now

For months, ground-handling staff have watched the civil-aviation regulator ANAC re-tender the lucrative handling licences that determine who loads baggage, fuels jets and guides aircraft on the apron. The draft ranking published in November places a Clece/South consortium ahead of incumbent SPdH/Menzies, rattling workers already scarred by Groundforce’s 2021 insolvency. Union leaders say the process leaves employees “in limbo” and insist on legally binding assurances that every current contract, salary scale and seniority right will survive any takeover.

The players at the heart of the dispute

The stoppage has been called jointly by the Aviation and Airport Workers Union (SITAVA) and the Handling, Aviation and Airports Workers Union (STHAA), covering ramp agents, check-in staff and logistics crews. The target, however, is the employer SPdH/Menzies, the UK-owned operator that took over parts of the old Groundforce network. Management argues that planning a strike while tenders are still under adjudication “only harms passengers and airlines”, but has nonetheless drafted contingency rosters and temporary staff agreements to dull the impact.

What will keep flying – and what will not

The three-judge arbitration panel has mandated a core list of “serviços mínimos”:– Emergency, humanitarian and medical flights– State and military movements– Critical safety operations on the ground– One guaranteed daily round-trip Lisbon–Ponta Delgada, Lisbon–Funchal and Lisbon–Terceira

Everything else – from European city breaks to long-haul holiday charters – is fair game for delays or cancellation. Airlines will decide case-by-case whether to operate, reroute or scrap flights. Early estimates from airport sources suggest that as much as 40 % of the regular New-Year schedule could be thinned out.

Government and regulator stance

The Ministry of Infrastructure extended all existing handling licences until 19 May 2026, hoping to calm nerves. Yet unions call the move “a sticking plaster that buys time but zero certainty”. ANAC, meanwhile, stresses that its tender is strictly merit-based and that any future concessionaire must “respect prevailing labour contracts”. ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal has activated its standard disruption protocol: extra customer-service desks, real-time flight boards in Portuguese and English, and an appeal for passengers to arrive earlier and check luggage allowances in advance.

Tips for anyone flying over New Year

Flying on 31 December or 1 January? Consider these steps:

Confirm your booking: airlines often post schedule changes overnight.

Go light: cabin-only bags speed your exit if hold-baggage staff are short-handed.

Buffer time: rail and coach links may run holiday timetables; missing a rescheduled flight could mean a 24-hour wait.

Know your rights: under EU261, disruptions caused by a strike of airport staff – not airline staff – can affect compensation rules, but carriers must still offer rerouting or refunds.

The bigger economic stakes

End-of-year travel injects roughly €300 M into Portugal’s hospitality and retail sectors. The Algarve’s hotels, Madeira’s fireworks extravaganza and Port wine cellars in the north all rely on seamless December air links. Tourism boards fear that even a one-day glitch will echo on social media and skew bookings for 2026’s early-spring shoulder season.

What to watch after the fireworks fade

Negotiations could still avert, shorten or postpone the walk-out; mediators from the Directorate-General for Employment have invited both sides to fresh talks next week. If no accord surfaces, the unions hint at “new action windows” around Carnival in February. For now, airlines, airports and nearly 2 M expected passengers must plan for a holiday period where the skies remain open – but not quite business as usual.