Portuguese unions Sitava and STHAA confirmed on 24 December that ground-handling staff employed by SPdH/Menzies will strike on 31 December and 1 January. Although an arbitration court has ordered ‘minimum services’ for emergency, military and island-lifeline flights, regular commercial operations at Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Madeira airports face disruption.
For Swiss stakeholders the timing is awkward. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has scheduled 13 frequencies from Zurich and Geneva to Lisbon and Porto over the two strike days, many feeding onward TAP codeshares to Brazil and West Africa. Tour operators Hotelplan Suisse and Kuoni report that nearly 9 000 Swiss holiday-makers are booked to Portuguese resorts for New Year’s Eve.
Before heading to the airport, travellers should also double-check that their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can quickly verify whether any transit or destination visas—especially for onward connections to Brazil, Cape Verde or other West African states—are required and can facilitate rush processing if paperwork is missing, saving passengers from an extra layer of disruption during the strike period.
![Portuguese Ground-Handling Strike Threatens Year-End Flights from Switzerland]()
Mobility managers should advise travellers to monitor flight status apps, carry hand-luggage essentials and build 24-hour contingencies into return trips. Under EU261, passengers delayed more than three hours may be entitled to €250–400 compensation unless airlines can prove ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Because the strike has been announced in advance, carriers are expected to rebook passengers proactively.
Swiss exporters relying on air-cargo uplift for fresh produce and pharma samples may also feel the pinch: Zurich-Lisbon belly-hold capacity is typically 20 tonnes per day, and road-feeder services to Madrid are already operating at peak.
Looking ahead, Lisbon airport’s ground-handling licence tender—at the heart of the labour dispute—runs until May 2026. If SPdH loses, further labour action could follow, so Swiss companies with Iberian footprints should keep Portugal on their 2026 travel-risk radar.
For Swiss stakeholders the timing is awkward. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has scheduled 13 frequencies from Zurich and Geneva to Lisbon and Porto over the two strike days, many feeding onward TAP codeshares to Brazil and West Africa. Tour operators Hotelplan Suisse and Kuoni report that nearly 9 000 Swiss holiday-makers are booked to Portuguese resorts for New Year’s Eve.
Before heading to the airport, travellers should also double-check that their travel documents are in order. VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) can quickly verify whether any transit or destination visas—especially for onward connections to Brazil, Cape Verde or other West African states—are required and can facilitate rush processing if paperwork is missing, saving passengers from an extra layer of disruption during the strike period.
Mobility managers should advise travellers to monitor flight status apps, carry hand-luggage essentials and build 24-hour contingencies into return trips. Under EU261, passengers delayed more than three hours may be entitled to €250–400 compensation unless airlines can prove ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Because the strike has been announced in advance, carriers are expected to rebook passengers proactively.
Swiss exporters relying on air-cargo uplift for fresh produce and pharma samples may also feel the pinch: Zurich-Lisbon belly-hold capacity is typically 20 tonnes per day, and road-feeder services to Madrid are already operating at peak.
Looking ahead, Lisbon airport’s ground-handling licence tender—at the heart of the labour dispute—runs until May 2026. If SPdH loses, further labour action could follow, so Swiss companies with Iberian footprints should keep Portugal on their 2026 travel-risk radar.
