EasyJet Cancels Flights to Portugal Again

EasyJet and the Portuguese labor union are continuing to clash.

An EasyJet A320 with Sharklets (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr)

[ Labor Unions ]August 15, 2024 11:40 am ET

By Pete Ainsley

With no end in sight for the disputes between EasyJet and the Portuguese National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Staff (SNPVAC), EasyJet has cancelled 232 flights to Portugal as a result of a three-day cabin crew strike, starting at midnight on August 15. The affected destinations include the popular tourism hot spots for Brits. EasyJet currently owns 19 aircraft and has more than 800 employees in Portugal.

According to Reuters, EasyJet has scheduled 1,138 flights to and from Portugal during the three-day strike. The affected passengers could rebook or claim a refund. In addition, passengers have been urged to check the status of their flights before traveling abroad.

The no-frills airline operates services from the U.K.’s London Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, and Glasgow to the Portuguese cities of Lisbon, Porto, and Faro.

SNPVAC complains the “working conditions never cease to worsen,” demanding to improve insufficient staffing and higher bonuses. The union also asked for “the fair demands of its workers.”

The airline has been accused of ignoring the union’s demands.

“We are extremely disappointed with this needless strike action, especially at this important time of the year for our customers. Our priority has been to try and minimise the impact of this strike action on our customers,” a spokesperson of the airline said to The Mirror.

Several Strikes in 2023

The strike has been a sense of déjà vu; the members of SNPVAC have walked off the job several times in the last year. In July 2023, the union demanded better working conditions and higher salaries to cope with the soaring cost of living. In response to the strike, the British airline cancelled 350 flights.

In March 2023, the union spoke out against the shortage of staff and demanded a pay rise, citing the routes to Portugal are among the most profitable in the network. EasyJet was criticized for providing “significant increases” to the staff who serve the less profitable routes in other countries.