Two Strikes, Thousands of Passengers
Cabin crew working for EasyJet in Portugal began strike action on 2 October, the first of two planned work stoppages that could disrupt travel for thousands of passengers. The SNPVAC union, which represents the crew members, has scheduled the initial strike to run through 6 October, with a second stoppage set for 19 to 23 December.
The union estimates that around 500 flights could be grounded during the October action alone, affecting departures and arrivals at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports. That figure does not account for any minimum service requirements that Portuguese authorities might impose. On the morning the strike began, flight-tracking data showed 99 delayed departures at Lisbon airport.
The timing of the second strike is particularly awkward. Late December is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, when airlines pack their schedules and seats fill quickly. A five-day stoppage during that window threatens to strand passengers whose holiday plans hinge on getting home or reaching family.
What Crew Members Are Asking For
SNPVAC has framed the dispute around working conditions it says have been sliding for months. The union's list of grievances includes frequent and last-minute roster changes, breaches of the collective agreement that governs employment terms, and what it describes as unequal treatment compared with pilots.
Crew members also cite failures in operational planning that leave them scrambling to cover gaps, often through pressure to accept overtime shifts. In a statement released as the strike began, the union said that constant schedule changes amount to disrespect for workers and their families, and accused the airline of prioritising profit over crew wellbeing.
The union argues that unpredictability is baked into aviation, but that chronic mismanagement of rosters is a choice, not an inevitability.
EasyJet's Response
EasyJet has called the strike action disappointing, particularly given that talks are under way with the involvement of DGERT, Portugal's labour mediation authority. The airline said it is working towards an agreement that addresses crew concerns while keeping its Portuguese operations financially viable.
In its statement, the carrier described the union's demands as unworkable and pointed to wages it says are well above the Portuguese national average. It added that it would do everything it could to limit disruption for passengers, though it did not specify what measures it would take, such as rebooking affected travellers onto other flights or offering refunds.
The airline operates a significant network from Portugal, and the country serves as an important base for routes connecting northern Europe with holiday destinations further south and west.
A Familiar Pattern
Strikes by cabin crew at low-cost carriers have become a recurring feature of European aviation in recent years, often clustering around peak travel periods when leverage is greatest. Crew unions at Ryanair, Vueling, and other budget airlines have walked out over similar issues: pay, rosters, and what they describe as a mismatch between the airlines' growth ambitions and the resources allocated to staff welfare.
For passengers, the pattern is frustrating. Budget carriers often operate point-to-point networks with limited flexibility, meaning that a cancelled flight may not have an easy alternative on the same day. Travellers booked on affected flights typically have the right to a refund or rebooking, but those protections do little to ease the inconvenience of a disrupted trip, especially during holiday periods when alternative flights are scarce and expensive.
The outcome of the talks between EasyJet and SNPVAC will determine whether the December strike goes ahead. If it does, it will test the airline's ability to maintain schedules during one of the most commercially important weeks of the year.
