Portugal Airport Strikes 2025/26 – Dates, Tips & Rights

Fall & Winter 2025/26 – What International Travelers Need to Know

1. Strike Dates & Who’s Involved

The labor union SIMA (Sindicato das Indústrias Metalúrgicas e Afins) has announced a new wave of strikes at Menzies Aviation, the ground-handling company serving Portugal’s airports.

Confirmed strike periods:

  • September: 3–9, 12–15, 19–22, 26–28

  • October: 3–6, 10–13, 17–20, 24–27, 31–Nov. 3

  • November: 7–10, 14–17, 21–24, 28–Dec. 1

  • December through New Year: 5–8, 12–15, 19–Jan. 2

The walkouts primarily involve ground staff — check-in, baggage handling, boarding, and ramp services. Importantly, pilots and cabin crew are not part of this strike action.

2. Core Demands & the Role of SIMA

SIMA is pressing for:

  • No base pay below Portugal’s minimum wage (€870 in 2025)

  • Proper compensation for night shifts

  • Parking access for employees

  • Respect for prior labor agreements

The union has called current pay structures illegal and unfair, arguing that workers’ base salaries often fall below the legal minimum. Menzies maintains that with bonuses and allowances, overall pay still exceeds the minimum.

3. What This Means for Travelers & Tourism

The timing couldn’t be more disruptive — during school holidays, Christmas, and New Year. Travelers should expect:

  • Long waits at check-in and boarding

  • Delays in baggage delivery — and the risk of bags not arriving at all

  • Flight cancellations or last-minute rerouting

For Portugal’s tourism industry, a cornerstone of its economy, these strikes represent a serious challenge. Hotels, tour operators, and airlines alike face logistical headaches when passenger arrivals are uncertain.

4. Lessons From Past Strikes

This isn’t the first showdown. Over the summer of 2025:

  • Dozens of flights were canceled at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro.

  • Hundreds of passengers waited for hours — sometimes days — for luggage.

  • TAP Air Portugal, as Menzies’ largest airline client, bore the brunt of disruptions.

Menzies has stated that no meaningful progress was made in negotiations after those strikes.

5. Practical Tips for Travelers

  • Pack light and go carry-on only if possible — avoid checked baggage delays or losses.

  • Check your flight status often via your airline’s app, airport websites, and email alerts.

  • Arrive early — at least two to three hours before departure.

  • Consider backup plans: trains, buses, or alternative airports.

  • Lean on travel insurance: if you’ve booked with Kiwi.com, their coverage can be a lifesaver during disruptions.

6. Important Note on EU Passenger Rights

The EU Passenger Rights Regulation (EC No. 261/2004) covers flight cancellations, delays, and denied boarding. However:
👉 When the strike is by airport ground staff — as in this case — airlines are usually not required to pay compensation.
It is legally considered an “extraordinary circumstance” beyond the airline’s control, similar to a national strike in France or air traffic controller walkouts.

By contrast, if the strike were carried out by airline employees — pilots or cabin crew — compensation would likely apply.

7. A Personal Note

We’ll be flying out of Lisbon on the morning of September 30, 2025, heading to Davao City — with four flights in a row. If the very first leg gets derailed, it would be a disaster.

That said, we booked through Kiwi.com and added solid insurance coverage, so at least we can breathe a little easier.

You can find out more about the booking platform KIWI in this blog article Smart Traveler's Secret Weapon.

Sources

What have you experienced in similar situations at the airport? Was the airline helpful? Share your experiences in the comments below. Best regards

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Comments

B von K
14 days ago

Maybe you can even manage to include the CP, then it would be practically perfect.