Passengers travelling through Portuguese airports risk encountering constraints from today until Monday. The disruption comes as the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) announced it was going on strike, warns ANA Aeroportos de Portugal in a statement, advising passengers to get to the airport early.
“There may be disruption at Lisbon airport’s border control on May 20, 21 and 22, and at Porto, Faro, Funchal, Porto Santo and Ponta Delgada airports on May 22, mainly during the morning”, it says.
ANA advises passengers travelling to countries outside the Schengen area to check in earlier and says that “it will do everything in its power to mitigate” the constraints caused to passengers.
SEF Inspectors initiated their strike at Lisbon airport today, between 05h00 and 10h00, extending to Porto, Faro and Madeira airports on Monday.
Two weeks ago, the Union of Investigation, Inspection and Borders Inspectors (SIIFF) announced a strike would be held from May 20 at Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Madeira airports.
The initiative results from uncertainty regarding the future of SEF inspectors after the Government approved, on April 6, the transition from the extinct SEF investigation and inspection careers to the criminal investigation careers of the Judiciary Police following a restructuring process.
The SIIFF delivered two strike notices that will take place in May and June, one for Lisbon airport and the other for Faro, Porto and Madeira airports, as well as for the remaining border posts.
ANA Aeroportos manages ten airports in Portugal, on the mainland (Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Beja) and in the Azores (Ponta Delgada, Horta, Flores and Santa Maria) and Madeira (Madeira and Porto Santo).
