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easyJet Portugal cabin crew strike 19-23 December 2026: Lisbon, Porto and Faro flights at risk, your rights

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Portugal's flight crew union SNPVAC has called a strike of easyJet cabin crew based in Portugal from 19 to 23 December 2026, right in the Christmas getaway. The Lisbon, Porto and Faro bases are affected. Passengers flying easyJet between France and Portugal on those dates should keep a close eye on their booking.

What the strike notice covers

According to the Lusa news agency, reported by Dinheiro Vivo on 17 September, easyJet cabin crew based in Lisbon, Porto and Faro voted unanimously for two strikes: 2 to 6 October and 19 to 23 December 2026. The union cites unstable rosters, no seniority-based pay progression, less favourable treatment than pilots and pressure to work overtime.

Minimum services were set for both periods by Portugal's labour authority (DGERT), Lusa reported on 29 September. They include routes to Madeira, Porto Santo and Cape Verde as well as some European rotations; in October, flights to Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice and Paris-Orly were among them. As of 28 October, we found no withdrawal of the notice and no December schedule published by easyJet.

What happened during the October strike

According to SNPVAC, quoted by RTP and Observador, 443 flights, around 80% of flights from the Portuguese bases, had been cancelled before the October strike began. On 5 October the union told Lusa that close to 370 flights had been cancelled. Figures therefore vary with the date and method of counting.

easyJet said it was extremely disappointed by the strike and planned to operate about 55% of its schedule, relying on minimum services and on aircraft and crews from other European bases, RTP reported. Significant disruption is therefore possible in December, but its scale is not known yet.

Your rights if your easyJet flight is cancelled or delayed

A strike by the airline's own staff is in principle not an extraordinary circumstance: the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled so on 23 March 2021 (case C-28/20, Airhelp v SAS). Compensation of 250 to 600 euros still follows the usual rules of Regulation EC 261/2004.

If easyJet tells you about the cancellation at least 14 days before departure, Article 5 of the regulation rules out compensation. For flights on 19 to 23 December, a cancellation notified before roughly 5 to 9 December, depending on the flight date, would therefore not give a right to compensation. In every case you keep the choice between a refund and re-routing, plus care (meals, a hotel if needed) while you wait. Keep your boarding passes, the airline's messages and receipts for your expenses.

Frequently asked questions

Is my easyJet flight to Lisbon on 21 December cancelled?

Not necessarily. As of 28 October, easyJet had not published a list of cancelled December flights. Check your booking status and the airline's messages regularly.

Can I get compensation if my flight is cancelled because of this strike?

In principle yes if you are told less than 14 days before departure, since a strike by the airline's own staff is in principle not an extraordinary circumstance. VolClaim checks your eligibility for free.

Sources

  1. Tripulantes da easyJet em greve de 02 a 06 de outubro e de 19 a 23 de dezembro — Dinheiro Vivo, avec l'agence Lusa (17 septembre 2026)
  2. Les équipages de cabine d'easyJet au Portugal annoncent des grèves en octobre et décembre — Euronews (18 septembre 2026)
  3. Greves na easyJet em outubro e dezembro já têm serviços mínimos decretados — DNoticias.pt, avec l'agence Lusa (29 septembre 2026)
  4. Greve dos tripulantes da easyJet deverá afetar pelo menos 443 voos — RTP, avec l'agence Lusa (1er octobre 2026)
  5. Greve dos tripulantes da easyJet arranca com 80% dos voos já cancelados — Observador (2 octobre 2026)
  6. Greve na easyJet cancelou quase 370 voos e impacto deve manter-se até sexta, diz sindicato — Jornal Económico, avec l'agence Lusa (5 octobre 2026)
  7. Arrêt dans l'affaire C-28/20 Airhelp : une grève du personnel n'est pas une circonstance extraordinaire — Cour de justice de l'Union européenne, communiqué de presse (23 mars 2021)

News written by the VolClaim editorial team, a service operated by TETRIS GROUP LLC, based on the sources cited. Information may change: always check your flight status with the airline.

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