An easyJet strike is announced in Portugal from 19 to 23 December 2026 for the cabin crew based at Lisbon, Porto and Faro.

The strike notice has been filed, and minimum services have been ordered, but no cancellation of the strike or agreement between the parties has been confirmed, and the status may still change, Pixidia reports.

Why are easyJet staff striking?

On 17 September, the SNPVAC union announced a strike by its members who are cabin crew based at easyJet in Portugal. It follows an earlier strike from 2 to 6 October, and the December dates, 19 to 23, are the dates specified in the strike notice. According to Infos Tourisme, the Portuguese labour administration (DGERT) has confirmed these dates.

According to the union, the strike concerns the stability of schedules, which sometimes change at the last minute, pay progression linked to seniority, and compliance with the company agreement. easyJet states that its Portuguese cabin crew are paid above the national average.

Which flights could be affected?

Minimum services set a number of rotations per route and per day during the strike. Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, is covered by two rotations a day from Lisbon and two from Porto. Madeira and Porto Santo are not bases affected by the strike, but their flights remain exposed to cancellation if the minimum rotations are not kept. No number of affected flights has yet been announced for December.

What are passengers entitled to?

According to the European Commission’s Your Europe, which Pixidia consulted on 27 October, if a flight is cancelled, a traveller can choose between a refund of the ticket, re-routing as soon as possible, or re-routing at a later date. During waiting time, the airline must provide refreshments and meals, accommodation if a night is needed, transport between the airport and the accommodation, and two calls or messages.

Depending on the circumstances of the cancellation, passengers may also be entitled to compensation. The amount depends on flight distance: €250 for a flight of up to 1,500 km, €400 for an intra-EU flight of more than 1,500 km and for flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, or €600 for a flight of more than 3,500 km. Compensation is generally not payable if passengers are informed at least 14 days before departure, while shorter notice periods are subject to additional conditions.

During a case concerning SAS pilots, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 23 March 2021 that a strike organised by an airline’s staff union, aimed in particular at pay rises, is not an extraordinary circumstance that exempts the airline. The ruling concerned SAS pilots, and its application to the specific circumstances of the planned easyJet strike has not been established.

How to claim compensation

If a flight is cancelled, the first step is to send a complaint to easyJet, not to an official authority, according to Pixidia, which also encourages travellers to keep a record of every exchange, every notification and every expense.

Pixidia also recommends checking the solution offered in the easyJet app or on the easyJet website, where a traveller can choose between a refund, re-routing or a new travel date.

Another piece of advice is to keep receipts for meals, accommodation, transport, and replacement tickets, making it easier to claim the costs afterwards.

Should a traveller not receive a reply within six weeks, or be dissatisfied with the response, the matter should be directed to the Portuguese civil aviation authority (ANAC). Travellers have three years from the date of the flight to submit their complaint, Pixidia reports.

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