Overview

• This weekend marks the final August walkout in a series of planned strikes at all major Portuguese airports after the initial action on July 25 led to more than 50 cancellations and over 30 delays.
• A court order enforcing minimum service levels has alleviated some impact but has not prevented ongoing flight cancellations, delays and baggage mishandling.
• Ground staff organized by SIMA at SPdH (formerly Groundforce) are demanding higher wages, night-shift premiums and improved working conditions as negotiations remain deadlocked.
• Airlines relying on SPdH handling services—including TAP Air Portugal, Ryanair, British Airways and Wizz Air—continue to face operational challenges and scrambled contingency plans.
• Affected passengers may be entitled to EU flight compensation, though airlines frequently classify strikes as extraordinary circumstances.