Baggage screeners at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) might have come to an agreement to end their strikes, but industrial action is set to continue throughout September and across Europe. These strikes will cause mass disruption for travellers over the month, and those with upcoming plans are recommended to check the status of their flights to best prepare.
Portugal
Portugal is set to start out the strikes this month, continuing on from industrial action during August.
Action is scheduled for 3-9, 12-15, 19-22, and 26-28 of September as ground staff in the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA) are disputing increased pay, compensation for night shifts, and commitment to previous agreements with their employer, Menzies aviation. This covers staff involved in baggage management, passenger check-ins, and airport servicing.
SIMA workers are expected to continue to strike periodically for the rest of the year or until a resolution is agreed upon. This will cause disruptions to occur at several busy airports across Portugal – including Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS), Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO), Faro International Airport (FAO), Madeira Airport (FNC), and the Azores’ John Paul II Ponta Delgada Airport (PDL).
Italy
Following Portugal, Italian aviation staff will be taking strike action on September 6, and 26.
On September 6, major Italian airports like Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), Florence Airport (FLA), Milan Linate (LIN), and Pisa International Airport (PSA) will experience significant disruption. Staff – spanning from cabin crew to baggage handlers – from EasyJet and Swissport will engage in a 24-hour walk out. Workers at FLR and PSA have signalled to be taking part for four hours.
Further industrial action will occur on September 26 as Volotea airport handling staff, and FLAI Transport and Services employees at LIN and MXP will stop working for four hours. Security staff at Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) will also be taking action for 24 hours.
France
From September 18-19, French air traffic controllers will be striking. This comes after talks over pay between their union and their employer have returned fruitless.
This strike is expected to be particularly disruptive to all flyers, regardless of whether or not their flight is stopping in France. All routes passing over French airspace are expected to be delayed as a consequence of this industrial action – therefore, flights across Europe are at risk of disturbance.
Spain
Azul Handling baggage staff are set to strike in airports across Spain over labour rights. This will largely impact Ryanair services, as handlers of the majority of the airline’s flights. Action will be carried out from 05:00-09:00 on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays – these strikes come following industrial action carried out in August, and will take place not only in September, but the rest of 2025.
Have your European holiday plans been affected by upcoming strikes in September? Let us know.
