LISBON, October 5, 2026 — A five-day strike by easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal ends on Tuesday, October 6, but the union says the disruption at Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO) and Faro (FAO) will last until Friday, October 9. It counts nearly 370 easyJet flights cancelled so far.
What happened
- Who: easyJet cabin crew at the airline’s three Portuguese bases, represented by the union SNPVAC.
- When: Friday, October 2, to Tuesday, October 6.
- Cancellations, per the union on October 5: 343 flights cancelled before the strike began, plus 26 more since October 2. The union puts this at about 90% of flights and says every crew member called out has taken part.
- Knock-on: union president Ricardo Penarroias said the effects will be strongly felt until Friday, because easyJet has not been able to bring in crews from other bases on a large scale.
- Disputed flights: the union says eight flights were flown with crews from foreign bases, outside the legal minimum service. It has reported them to Portugal’s labour authority.
- easyJet: the airline did not answer Jornal Económico’s questions on October 5. On October 2 it said it planned to fly about 55% of its Portugal schedule, using minimum-service flights and aircraft from other European bases.
- Why: the crew want stable rosters and pay progression tied to length of service in a new company agreement.
| Date | What to expect |
|---|---|
| October 2 to 6 | Strike. Minimum services cover about 22% of easyJet’s Portugal-based flying |
| October 7 to 9 | Knock-on disruption, according to the union |
| December 19 to 23 | Second strike already called |
The two sides’ numbers do not match. Before the strike the union counted 443 flights cancelled across the five days, and easyJet’s 55% figure implies far fewer. A cancellation count from easyJet itself: TBA.
What it means for travelers
- Do not count on easyJet in or out of Portugal this week. The flights that do operate are carrying rebooked passengers too.
- Other airlines on the same routes will be fuller. Passengers from cancelled easyJet flights need seats somewhere. Expect fewer open seats on other carriers out of Lisbon, Porto and Faro through at least Friday, October 9.
- Check your flight status the day before and again on the day. Rebooking moves seats quickly during a strike.
- Planning Christmas travel? The second strike, December 19 to 23, falls on some of the busiest days of the year. Plan around it now.
Sources
- Jornal Económico — Greve na easyJet cancelou quase 370 voos e impacto deve manter-se até sexta, diz sindicato
- Observador — Greve dos tripulantes da easyJet arranca com 80% dos voos já cancelados
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