A strike occurring in Portugal has resulted in over 60 flights being cancelled today from the country’s main airport in the capital city of Lisbon. In preparation for the strike, home carrier TAP had prepared beforehand and reduced its schedules considerably beforehand, while other airlines across Europe, the Middle East, and other regions have also cancelled services to and from Lisbon.

The strike is expected to affect not just aviation but other modes of transport in the country, and also other sectors such as education, health care, and more, with publications such as Al Jazeera stating that this is the first strike in 12 years and the largest since Summer 2013.

Focusing On Aviation: Significant Flight Cancellations

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With a general strike happening today in Portugal, the nation’s aviation sector (among others) has been significantly disrupted with a huge number of flight cancellations. Wednesday’s report from The Portugal News indicates that the country’s home carrier, TAP Air Portugal, was prepared in advance and only expected to operate a third of its schedule today (Thursday). With this, it aimed to reduce impacts on its passengers whose flights are operating today.

The strike has essentially impacted Portugal’s domestic and international aviation markets, with carriers other than TAP also making considerable reductions to their schedules to and from the country’s main hub: Lisbon Airport (LIS). Airport data from FlightRadar24 for LIS shows that over 60 departures have been cancelled as of yet, and dozens more flights experienced some delays.

As is the nature of the industry, Aviation is interconnected, and thus a disruption with one airline or at one airport can have a significant, widespread impact. Travel And Tour World published further information regarding the impacts experienced at various airports across continental Europe, including services from Iceland, Italy, the UK, Finland, Germany, and Sweden. This has led to disruptions at the point of origin, as the publication explains:

“The strike not only led to flight cancellations but also strained airport resources, causing further delays for thousands of passengers.”

Airlines Across Europe & Beyond Are Affected

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As a result of the strike, carriers from Europe, such as Ryanair, easyJet, Lufthansa, Iberia, Air Europa, and more have all had to cancel their services to LIS. Reports from Wednesday indicate that Air Europa planned to cancel all 16 of its services to and from Portugal, while Iberia slashed its schedules by up to 75% of its services to Porto Airport. The Spanish flag carrier also cancelled about half of its services to Lisbon.

Beyond Europe, carriers such as United Airlines and American Airlines from North America have cancelled their services, while South America’s LATAM has also cancelled its three services between Lisbon and Brazil. To the East, Middle Eastern airlines such as Emirates and Etihad Airways have also cancelled their flights to and from Portugal for the day.

Considering that carriers such as TAP, United Airlines, and Lufthansa are all part of the Star Alliance, it is natural that such routes will see codeshares from other member airlines and individual codeshare partners. This could potentially lead to further disruptions around the world. Due to the extensive collaboration between airlines operating in the transatlantic corridor, this is a market that could be significantly impacted.

Recent Outlook At Lisbon Airport

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Lisbon Airport has been experiencing some changes in recent times. The transatlantic market is booming in the Portuguese capital, with data indicating that the airport is becoming a key gateway connecting Europe and North America. This is only natural considering the country is located at the far west of Europe, making it one of the closest European destinations from North America. In 2025, there were 90% more services between the US and Portugal than there were in 2019.

Lisbon is a perfectly located hub, and hugely influenced by the collaboration between carriers as codeshare and alliance partners. This allows passengers from multiple airlines to connect onwards to a service operated by a single carrier, enabling airlines to provide better worldwide access. This, paired with the fact that TAP offers a stopover program in Portugal, makes the connectivity between the two continents more appealing to customers not interested in direct services.

Furthermore, with TAP looking to be privatized, it is possible that connectivity will only increase in the future if and when the airline gets a buyer. However, considering the potential buyers at the moment are IAG, Air France-KLM, and the Lufthansa Group, the nature of future connectivity and airlines available could change considerably depending on which of these groups succeeds in inducting TAP.