Following the strike announced by cabin crew, Portuguese airline TAP is advising passengers to change their flights scheduled for December 8 and 9, free of charge.

In a statement sent this Monday and quoted by the Echo, the airline said that, "despite all efforts", "it was not possible to reach an agreement" with the union.

On November 3, the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Personnel (SNPVAC) approved, by a large majority, a strike notice at TAP for December 8 and 9, as ECO had advanced. A new assembly will be held on December 6 or 7 to assess the progress of negotiations with the airline's management, but TAP is taking the strike for granted.

In this sense, it is advising passengers to take precautions, since it has so far been unable to reach an agreement with the cabin crew. "Despite all the [airline] company's efforts to avoid this strike, it has not been possible to reach an agreement with the union representing these professionals, although it has been possible to reach understandings on various issues," TAP said in a statement.

The company notes that "the proposals were presented in good time", but stresses the "lack of response from the SNPVAC in good time", which has led to a "loss in ticket sales and in the normal revenue for these days".

"Not knowing the level of disruption that the operation may suffer on those days, TAP recommends that customers try to reschedule their flights." Passengers with flights scheduled for December 8 and 9 should therefore reschedule them through the call center or their travel agencies.

This change, explains TAP, "can be made without any penalty and without a fare change for dates between November 28 and December 19, and without penalty, although with a fare change, for any other period".

The airline left a message for its crew, stating that it "remains available for an understanding with the union", "under the terms of the proposal that has already been presented to them". "And it reiterates that it has done everything possible to make this happen in good time."

TAP is negotiating new company agreements with the various unions to come into force after the end of the emergency agreements in 2024. But the crew union is contesting the proposal it has already received. "We can't accept as a basis for negotiation a company agreement that turns a TAP crew member into a Ryanair crew member. There are minimums," said the union leader.