easyJet Portugal Cabin-Crew Strike Enters Day Two: 443 Cancellations as Union and Airline Clash Over Replacement Crews
LISBON — The five-day strike by easyJet's Portugal-based cabin crew entered its second day on Saturday, October 3. Called by the SNPVAC flight personnel union, the walkout runs from October 2 to 6 across the Lisbon, Porto and Faro bases, at the start of the long weekend created by the Republic Day holiday on Monday, October 5.
FTN News reported 443 cancellations linked to the action. SNPVAC representative Ana Dias told the Lusa news agency that more than 60 flights in Lisbon, more than 30 in Porto and eight in Faro remained scheduled and could still be affected. Portugal's labour authority DGERT had earlier set minimum services — about 22 percent of easyJet's Portugal-based operation — in Order 51/2026, protecting essential links such as those involving Madeira.
The dispute centres on easyJet using crews from other European bases to operate some flights. The airline says this is lawful and lets it run substantially more of its network than the minimum; the union alleges it may amount to replacing strikers and has raised possible legal action, which easyJet rejects.
The strike stems from a dispute over pay, rostering and working conditions. Crew voted for action on September 17 and have announced a further five-day stoppage for December 19–23. The airline said affected passengers would be notified of flight changes; published information showed that not all services were cancelled during the strike.
Sources: Compiled from FTN News, DGERT Order 51/2026 on minimum services, and Travel and Tour World.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：易捷航空空客A320客机在里斯本机场进近。摄影：Bene Riobó，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
