Holiday havoc: Airline strikes disrupt travel in Germany and Portugal

For some tourists, the last days of holidays could be unpleasant due to airline industry strikes. A four-day protest by cabin crew and pilots of the German carrier Discover Airlines has already begun, and that’s not all.

No traveller will be pleased with the announced strikes. This is especially true for airports in Germany, which are already very crowded due to their extensive network of connections, and Portugal, which attracts crowds during the tourist season.

Discover Airlines employees, associated with the UFO cabin crew union and the VC pilots' union, began a strike on Tuesday, 27 August, which is set to last until Friday.

As the Tagesschau portal highlights, the strike covers all Discover Airlines departures from Germany, leading to unpredictable delays and cancellations.

The German Lufthansa subsidiary has assured that it is trying to minimise the impact of the protest on passengers and offer as many flights as possible. Tourists have been advised to check the status of their flights regularly. Around 270 flights from Frankfurt and Munich were planned during the four-day strike.

Previously, another union, Verdi, was the first to conclude collective agreements for pilots and cabin crew at Discover Airlines. The agreement negotiated by Verdi includes salary increases for both professional groups ranging from 16 to 38 per cent until the end of 2027, as well as provisions on allowances, working hours, and company pension plans. The demands of UFO and VC are very similar.

Strikes are also expected at Portuguese airports this coming weekend. The Portuguese Transport Workers' Union, Sttamp, has announced them. Major disruptions are expected at airports, especially in Porto and Lisbon, as employees protest against low wages, the employment of workers from temporary employment agencies, and excessive overtime.