Passengers queueing at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport during a previous strike. Travelers heading to Portugal this month now face a new wave of airport walkouts starting on December 5, as ground-handling staff employed by Menzies Aviation, the main provider of check-in, baggage, and ramp services nationwide, plan to strike across all major airports.

The actions are scheduled during some of the busiest travel periods of the year and are expected to create long lines, delayed baggage, and the possibility of flight cancellations for holiday-season travelers.

TL;DR

  • Ground-handling staff at Menzies Aviation will strike Dec 5–8, Dec 12–15, and Dec 19–Jan 2.
  • Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira and Azores airports are all affected.
  • Expect long queues, slow baggage handling, flight delays and some cancellations.
  • Unions cite low wages, unpaid night-shift benefits and stalled negotiations.
  • Minimum-service laws guarantee 100% of domestic/island flights and 35% of international flights.
  • Disruptions overlap with a separate national general strike on Dec 11, worsening travel conditions.

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When and where are the strikes happening?

The planned strike dates are spread across three main periods in December (and into early January):

  • December 5–8, 2025: Friday through Monday of the first weekend in December.
  • December 12–15, 2025: Another Friday-to-Monday stoppage the following week.
  • December 19, 2025 – January 2, 2026: A continuous strike covering the Christmas and New Year holiday rush.

These coordinated walkouts will affect Lisbon (LIS), Porto (OPO), Faro (FAO), as well as airports in Madeira (FNC) and the Azores, since the dispute covers all national airports in Portugal. Essentially every major gateway is impacted, with Lisbon – the country’s busiest hub – expected to see the heaviest disruption.

The strike schedule deliberately targets peak travel weekends and holidays, so demand will be high during those dates. If you have flights passing through Portuguese airports on any of the above dates, consider them “high-risk” days for travel plans.

Why are airport workers striking?

The industrial action is driven by an ongoing labor dispute between the unions (led by SIMA, the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union, along with others) and Menzies Aviation over pay and working conditions.

Ground-handling employees assert that their base salaries often fall below Portugal’s minimum wage and that they aren’t receiving due compensation for night shifts and other agreed-upon benefits.

The unions have been staging rolling strikes since September to pressure management into better wages and to honor prior agreements on benefits. By concentrating strikes on long weekends and major holidays, the workers aim to maximize leverage when airports are normally busiest.

It’s worth noting that this wave of strikes comes after a series of walkouts over the summer and autumn. Some strikes planned for late August were called off amid talks with the government, but no lasting deal was reached.

With negotiations stalled, the unions moved forward with a 76-day strike plan running from September 2025 through January 2, 2026, hitting virtually every weekend and holiday in that span. In short, the dispute remains unresolved, hence the disruption is carrying into the crucial December travel period.

How bad could the disruptions be?

Travelers should be prepared for significant disruptions on strike days, though not an absolute airport shutdown. During the strikes, critical ground services like check-in desks, baggage handling, and boarding assistance will be staffed at well below normal levels.

This means longer queues at check-in and security, slower baggage drop-off and collection, and potential flight delays or cancellations, especially for airlines that rely heavily on Menzies staff.

For example, in previous strike waves earlier this year, Lisbon Airport saw dozens of flight cancellations and piles of delayed luggage, while Porto and other airports experienced hours-long check-in lines – even though many flights still operated. Travelers might find that flights are still departing, but everything takes longer than usual.

However, there are mitigating measures in place. The Portuguese government’s arbitration court has ordered strict “minimum service” levels during the strikes. In practice, this guarantees that all domestic flights and flights between the mainland and the islands (Madeira/Azores) will be serviced, and at least a portion of international flights as well.

One ruling mandated that 100% of ground handling for domestic and island routes must be maintained, and about 35% for international flights. This means that many essential flights (for example, links from Lisbon to Madeira or the Azores) must still operate, preventing a total halt to air travel.

Schedules on paper may look mostly intact, especially on protected routes, but with skeleton crews working, even these flights could see slower processing and delays.

For international routes, airlines will likely prioritize certain flights (such as early-morning departures or long-hauls) under these minimum service rules, potentially scrapping or combining other flights on strike days.

Most airports will remain open, and many flights will run, but travelers should expect a rougher experience than usual – think delayed departures, last-minute schedule changes, and baggage delivery lagging behind flights. It’s not a one-day, one-airport event but a rolling challenge across the network.

Another complication is that these airport handling strikes overlap with a general national strike on December 11, 2025, when many transport workers (including airline staff and air traffic controllers) are expected to walk out.

That separate one-day general strike is forecasted to ground most flights at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro on December 11 – right in between the first two handling strike periods. So essentially, Portugal faces a continuous stretch of unrest from December 5 through 15, broken only by a brief respite on the 9th-10th. Travelers in that window should be especially vigilant and build in extra contingency time around the 11th.

FAQ

Q1. When are Portugal’s airport strikes happening?
Strikes are scheduled for December 5 to 8, December 12 to 15, and December 19 to January 2, covering peak holiday travel.

Q2. Which airports are affected?
Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira, and Azores airports, which are all served by Menzies handling staff.

Q3. What services will be disrupted?
Check in, baggage handling, boarding assistance, and ramp operations will operate with extremely limited staffing.

Q4. Will flights be cancelled?
Some flights may be cancelled, delayed, or consolidated, especially international routes without minimum service protection.

Q5. Are all flights guaranteed to operate?
No. Domestic and island routes have 100 percent guaranteed service. Only around 35 percent of international flights are protected.

Q6. Why are workers striking?
Unions say wages fall below minimum levels and night shift benefits are not being honored. Negotiations with Menzies have stalled.

Q7. How long will the disruption last?
Expect continuous disruption from December 5 to January 2, with only short gaps between strike periods.

Q8. What about December 11?
A nationwide general strike on December 11 may ground most flights and sits between two phases of the handling strike.

Q9. What should travelers expect at airports?
Long queues, slow processing, baggage delays, heavy congestion, and potential last minute schedule changes.

Q10. How can passengers reduce the risk of disruption?
Arrive early, travel with carry on only, monitor airline notifications, and consider rebooking away from strike dates if possible.