Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Europe Engulfed In Travel Strike Wave As France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, And More Face Airport Shutdowns And Cancellations In September 2025: New Report You Need To Know
Published on
September 18, 2025
Europe is currently in the midst of a major travel strike wave, with airport shutdowns and widespread cancellations affecting countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands. These disruptions are driven by ongoing labor disputes over rising living costs, poor working conditions, and stagnant wages, forcing workers at key airports to walk out and halt operations. As a result, travelers across the continent are facing significant delays, uncertainty, and cancellations, making it crucial to stay updated on the latest developments in the coming weeks.
The European travel landscape is facing one of its most disruptive seasons in recent memory, as thousands of travelers are being caught in the middle of widespread airport strikes across the continent. The strikes, led by airport staff, baggage handlers, security workers, and air traffic controllers, are unfolding against a backdrop of rising living costs, wage disputes, and growing dissatisfaction over working conditions. With September ushering in the fall and autumn travel rush, passengers moving through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, and other European countries are confronting delays, cancellations, and mounting uncertainty about their journeys.
Italy
Italy, long a magnet for international travelers, has been at the center of escalating industrial action at its busiest airports.
Workers had been barred from striking during the critical summer holiday period, spanning from late July to early September. However, once the legal “blackout period” ended, unions wasted no time in launching protest action. On September 13, 2025, airport handling staff at Milan’s Linate and Malpensa airports staged a 24-hour strike, sending ripples of disruption across the country’s northern aviation hub.
The unrest did not stop there. Another major strike loomed on September 26, 2025, when baggage handling staff, ground crew, and Volotea airline employees joined together in coordinated protests. The action spread across airports throughout Italy, threatening travelers departing from or transiting through key gateways such as Rome Fiumicino, Venice Marco Polo, and Naples International.
- Workers involved: baggage handlers, ground staff, airline crew (Volotea).
- Core demands: better wages, relief from stressful working conditions, and stronger protection for staff during peak workload periods.
- Impact: widespread delays and cancellations, uncertainty for connecting passengers, and heightened stress at check-in counters.
Travelers in Italy are being urged to monitor real-time updates from their airlines and remain aware of their rights under EU Regulation 261/2004, which entitles passengers to rerouting, compensation, and support in the event of significant disruption.
Portugal
Portugal has entered an extended period of turbulence as workers belonging to the Metallurgical and Related Industries Union (SIMA) continue to lock horns with their employer, Menzies Aviation. The core of the dispute lies in salary stagnation, insufficient compensation for night shifts, and the failure to honor previously agreed-upon labor arrangements.
Throughout August 2025, workers staged rolling protests that disrupted operations at the nation’s major airports. With no settlement in sight, the strike campaign has been extended through the remainder of 2025 and into early 2026.
The planned strike calendar is extensive and designed to maintain pressure on management:
- September 2025:
- September 12–15
- September 19–22
- September 26–28
- October 2025:
- October 3–6
- October 10–13
- October 17–20
- October 24–27
- October 31–November 3
- November 2025:
- November 7–10
- November 14–17
- November 21–24
- November 28–December 1
- December 2025 into January 2026:
- December 5–8
- December 12–15
- December 19–January 2
The strikes are expected to hit Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira, and the Azores, key entry points for tourists arriving from Europe and beyond.
- Workers involved: baggage handlers, check-in staff, airport service workers.
- Core demands: salary raises, night-shift compensation, and respect for past agreements.
- Impact: rolling disruptions lasting multiple days, longer queues at check-in, delays in baggage claim, and cancellations of short-haul and long-haul services.
For travelers, the recommendation is to plan with flexibility, check alternative dates where possible, and expect that even if their flight departs, it may experience delays in ground handling services.
France
France’s air travel network is under pressure as air traffic controllers, among the most vital players in the aviation ecosystem, prepare for strikes following failed negotiations between their union, SNCTA, and the Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC).
The dispute centers around wage increases and staffing levels, with controllers warning that they face unsustainable work stress without improved pay and resources. The scheduled strikes on September 18–19, 2025 threaten not only flights landing or departing in France but also any flights passing through French airspace.
The Syndicat National des Contrôleurs du Trafic Aérien (SNCTA), which represents around 70% of France’s air traffic controllers, had initially called for a strike today. However, the strike was called off following the recent appointment of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, leaving the union without a direct government representative to engage with. As a result, the SNCTA has now moved the strike to October 7–9, 2025.
With Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Nice, and Lyon serving as major hubs for European and global connectivity, the impact of even a two-day strike is far-reaching. Transcontinental routes crossing Europe are expected to reroute, leading to longer flight times and cascading delays.
- Workers involved: air traffic controllers.
- Core demands: wage improvements and solutions to staffing shortages.
- Impact: flight cancellations at French airports, delays across European airspace, disruption for flights not even touching down in France.
Travel authorities have advised passengers to check their airlines’ notifications carefully, as some services may be preemptively canceled to reduce congestion and prevent chaos at airports.
Spain
Spain’s aviation industry is facing two simultaneous waves of strike action that are significantly straining airport operations.
First, baggage handlers represented by Azul Handling, a company within the Ryanair Group, have staged recurring strikes. The action is ongoing every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 05:00 a.m. to 09:00 a.m. until the end of 2025. The timing directly targets peak departure hours, increasing the risk of missed connections and disrupted itineraries.
Second, security staff at Madrid-Barajas Airport, employed by the private security firm Trablisa, began an indefinite strike on September 14, 2025. The dispute, rooted in wage disagreements, has led to visible disruptions at one of Europe’s busiest airports.
The combined effects are being felt at airports across the country, including Alicante, Barcelona, Girona, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, South Tenerife, and Valencia.
- Workers involved: baggage handlers (Azul Handling), security staff (Trablisa).
- Core demands: wage increases, better labor protections.
- Impact: recurring early-morning disruptions, long security queues at Madrid-Barajas, baggage delays across Spain’s busiest airports.
Travelers flying into or out of Spain are strongly advised to arrive at airports significantly earlier than usual, as bottlenecks in both baggage handling and security could cause last-minute boarding issues.
Netherlands
Although not always in the spotlight, the Netherlands has also experienced increasing labor unrest within its aviation sector. Workers at Amsterdam Schiphol and other regional airports have voiced concerns over rising workloads, particularly during peak travel seasons, coupled with stagnating wages.
KLM passengers traveling through Amsterdam Schiphol on September 17 are set to encounter major disruptions as the airline’s ground staff prepare to stage a four-hour walkout. The strike, scheduled between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., has been called by members of the CNV and FNV unions amid an ongoing dispute with the carrier over collective bargaining agreements.
This latest protest comes on the heels of a similar strike held just a week earlier, which forced the cancellation of more than 100 flights. With tensions still unresolved, KLM has once again been compelled to cancel a significant number of services planned for September 17.
The brunt of the cancellations is expected to fall on the airline’s short-haul network, which forms the backbone of its European operations. Passengers have been warned to brace for extended delays in rebooking, as the airline works to accommodate travelers affected by the walkout.
Reports indicate that unions are preparing to escalate demands through potential strike actions later in the autumn, aligning with broader European movements. While specific strike dates have not yet been confirmed, Schiphol, as one of Europe’s busiest transfer hubs, could see disruptions that would ripple far beyond Dutch borders.
- Workers involved: airport service staff, ground crew, potential baggage handlers.
- Core demands: better pay scales aligned with cost of living, stronger protections against overwork.
- Impact: risk of widespread disruption for connecting flights through Schiphol, a key hub for intercontinental travel.
Passengers planning fall journeys through Amsterdam are encouraged to monitor union announcements closely, as any coordinated strike could severely affect Europe-to-Asia and transatlantic routes.
Causes and Broader Context
The strikes across Europe share several common themes that point to deeper systemic issues within the aviation industry:
- Cost of Living Pressures: Inflation has eroded purchasing power, and workers argue wages have not kept up with rising expenses in housing, food, and transport.
- Stressful Working Conditions: Long shifts, irregular hours, and understaffed teams have created an environment of fatigue and frustration.
- Broken Agreements: In countries like Portugal, unions argue that employers have failed to uphold previously negotiated contracts, sparking further resentment.
- Regulatory Restrictions: Seasonal strike bans in Italy illustrate the tension between governments seeking to protect peak tourism periods and workers demanding the right to protest.
Impacts on Travelers
For passengers navigating Europe during this turbulent autumn, the effects are immediate and disruptive:
- Flight delays and cancellations: Entire schedules may be adjusted or grounded.
- Congested airports: Check-in, baggage claim, and security processes slowed by reduced staff.
- Uncertainty in connections: Flights crossing French airspace or connecting through hubs like Madrid or Lisbon may be delayed even if the departure airport is not directly on strike.
- Passenger rights: Under EU Regulation 261/2004, travelers may be entitled to compensation, rebooking, or accommodations depending on the nature and duration of the disruption.
Recommendations for Passengers
To manage the challenges posed by the strike wave, passengers should adopt proactive strategies:
- Monitor updates: Regularly check airline notifications, airport websites, and travel alerts.
- Arrive early: Especially at airports in Spain and Portugal, where security and baggage strikes directly affect passenger flow.
- Travel with flexibility: Consider booking flights with flexible change policies to allow for rescheduling.
- Know your rights: Familiarize yourself with EU passenger compensation laws in case of cancellations.
- Pack smart: Keep essentials like medications, chargers, and key documents in carry-on luggage in case checked baggage is delayed.
Europe’s air travel is facing major disruptions this September as a series of strikes across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands have led to widespread airport shutdowns and flight cancellations. These actions, driven by disputes over pay and working conditions, are causing significant delays and complications for travelers throughout the continent.
As autumn progresses, the likelihood of further escalation remains high. Unless agreements are reached between unions and employers, Europe’s aviation network will continue to experience rolling disruptions, with ripple effects across global flight schedules. For travelers, this means vigilance, flexibility, and preparation are no longer optional—they are essential for navigating Europe’s skies during a season marked by industrial unrest.
