Portugal airport strikes called off

The strikes would have impacted Lisbon, Faro and Madeira airports

Green channel: passengers at Faro airport in Portugal, the only major European country on the ‘green list’ (Simon Calder)

Planned strikes at key Portuguese airports have been called off after the government intervened.

Portuguese immigration officers had planned to walk out on certain dates from Monday 31 May until 28 June.

The industrial action, staged by Portuguese border agency SEF, would have threatened holiday plans for Britons heading to Lisbon, Faro in the Algarve and the island of Madeira.

Portugal is in high demand with UK travellers thanks to its status as the only mainstream tourism destination on the UK’s “green list”.

The strike plans were met with fury from the Algarve tourism board, which urged the union to reconsider the walk-out, arguing that it would be detrimental to the recently restarted tourism industry.

In a statement confirming the strikes had been called off, the tourism board said: “The strikes at Portuguese airports by immigration officers, originally planned for June, will not be taking place as per the order of the Portuguese government through a legal decree, who have banned the strikes from happening, in order to guarantee essential activities, when there are serious disturbances in social, economic or political life.”

Next week, which is half term, is expected to see thousands of families from Britain fly out to the Mediterranean nation.

Holidaymakers heading to Portugal need to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours, and take two further Covid tests upon returning to the UK– one before flying back, and one within two days of landing.