Hundreds of flights are at risk of disruption after cabin crew announced plans for strike action at one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations.
The industrial action could affect passengers travelling between the UK and Portugal during two periods later this year, including the busy run-up to Christmas.
EasyJet cabin crew based in Portugal are set to walk out from October 2 to October 6 and again from December 19 to December 23 amid an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
Operations at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports are expected to be impacted, with Portuguese cabin crew union SNPVAC estimating that around 500 flights could be cancelled during the October strike period.
EasyJet has now confirmed that some UK flights have already been cancelled ahead of the industrial action.
The airline said two return flights and one outbound flight from Southend Airport have been cancelled, while no flights from London Stansted Airport have been affected so far.
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The airline stressed that further cancellations remain possible as it continues to manage the impact of the planned strikes.
An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are extremely disappointed that SNPVAC is planning strike actions despite our willingness to continue a constructive dialogue.
“We had just started a conciliation process through the mediation of DGERT with the aim to reach an agreement to meet our employees’ requests and protect the sustainability of easyJet business in Portugal.
“The current union demands are unworkable especially given that our crew are already paid significantly above the Portuguese national average.
“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of the strike on our customers including actioning some cancellations in advance to allow our customers to rearrange their travel plans.”
The dispute centres on a series of complaints raised by cabin crew, including alleged frequent changes to duty rosters, staffing concerns and pay issues.
According to SNPVAC, the strike action received unanimous backing from the 188 easyJet employees who attended an emergency meeting to discuss the dispute.
The October walkout coincides with Portugal's Republic Day weekend, while the December strike is due to take place just days before Christmas, raising concerns about potential disruption for holidaymakers travelling during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Passengers due to travel to or from Portugal during the strike dates are being advised to monitor communications from easyJet for the latest information on their flights.
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