Latest news and stories about travel disruption in Portugal for expats and residents.
The German pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit, has announced a new strike at Lufthansa for Monday and Tuesday. This follows a separate walkout by cabin crew that caused hundreds of flight cancellations. The union stated that the strike action is a response to a lack of serious proposals or dialogue from the airline's administration.
The Oeste railway line (Linha do Oeste) is out of service around Torres Vedras, forcing passengers to rely on cars and limited buses and turning a normally two‑minute trip into a 30‑minute journey by road, RTP reports. The Barraqueiro group said it is ready to supply more buses but replacements are limited for now; commuters and rural residents should expect delays and check operator updates.
The Linha do Oeste (West Line) is a regional rail route on Portugal’s west coast that links towns north of the Lisbon metro area and carries both local passenger services and some freight. It is part of the national infrastructure managed by Infraestruturas de Portugal with passenger trains run by Comboios de Portugal (CP), and it was cited in a Feb 14, 2026 Público piece as an example of underinvestment and service cuts that affect commuters and regional mobility.
The Barraqueiro group (Grupo Barraqueiro) is one of Portugal’s largest road-transport companies, operating regional, intercity and urban bus and coach services. In the current story it said it was ready to provide replacement buses while the Oeste railway line is out of service, so commuters and local residents should check bus timetables and expect longer travel times in the affected area.
The West region (Oeste) is the coastal agricultural area north of Lisbon that supplies large quantities of fruits, vegetables and other agri-food products to national supermarkets. Heavy damage to farms and packing operations there can reduce local supply and push prices up in the weeks or months after severe weather, so buyers and food businesses often watch developments in this region.
Severe weather conditions have prompted yellow rain warnings across mainland Portugal and orange alerts for wind and rough seas in Madeira, leading to the cancellation of the Lobo Marinho ferry service. Additionally, the DGS has issued an air quality warning due to North African dust.
Lamego City Council has closed the A24 motorway in both directions between the Valdigem and Lamego junctions (Viseu district) because of an imminent risk of a “large-scale” landslide. The stretch had earlier been shut north-to-south as a precaution; authorities say the full closure is intended to protect road users while geotechnical teams assess slope stability and remediation measures. The action will cause regional travel disruption and underscores the need for monitoring and preventive works on vulnerable road cuttings.
The meteorological institute has issued red warnings for extremely rough seas — with swells up to 15 metres — for Porto, Braga and Viana do Castelo overnight from Friday into Saturday, while the broader west coast remains on orange. The three districts will be downgraded to an orange warning between 03:00 and 18:00 on Saturday. Authorities warn of significant risk to maritime operations, coastal infrastructure and public safety; residents and mariners are advised to avoid the shore, follow local advisories and expect disruptions to ferry services and port activity.
Depression Kristin, following storm Joseph, is set to cross Portugal and has prompted Civil Protection to raise the special state of readiness to level 4 along the coastal strip from Viana do Castelo to Setúbal. Authorities expect the most critical period around 04:00; by 22:00 more than 1,500 incidents had been recorded and one person died in Vila Franca de Xira after a tree fell on a car. This minute-by-minute briefing tracks developments, emergency responses and public-safety impacts as the situation unfolds.
Reports indicate 24 National Republican Guard (GNR) personnel were assigned to reinforce border checks at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport to help reduce queues and bolster security. The GNR later clarified the 24 officers will be deployed as reinforcements from next Tuesday; the airport had previously been reinforced by 25 GNR personnel at 19:00 and around 80 PSP officers over the Christmas period.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) warns that the low-pressure system 'Francis' will begin affecting the Portuguese mainland from Thursday. Stronger winds are expected from Thursday afternoon, with light rain forecast for New Year’s Day mainly on the west coast spreading inland; no rain is expected on New Year’s Eve.
Several airlines have been cancelling flights due to fuel shortages caused by the conflict in Iran. Sofia Lima, an expert at DECO PROteste, provides some recommendations if you are affected by this situation.
SATA states that it has reorganised “passengers onto alternative flights for Saturday” and that it “will use an Azores Airlines aircraft to normalise traffic on some inter-island air routes.”
The Boeing 737-800 was departing from Bournemouth bound for Gran Canaria. No passengers were injured and the aircraft landed safely at 12:24 PM at Gago Coutinho airport.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned this Thursday that Europe may only have enough jet fuel for six weeks, which could force airlines to ground their planes if oil supplies from the Middle East are not quickly restored. 'Europe only has jet fuel reserves...'
To avoid the long queues that formed on Saturday (11/04), when passengers missed their flights, biometric data collection is suspended once again this Sunday (12/04).
Biometric data collection at departures in Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports was suspended again this Sunday, April 12, due to excessive waiting times for passengers. PSP spokesperson Superintendent Sérgio Soares stated that the measure aims to prevent passengers from missing flights while maintaining border security. The suspension affects the Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated EU system that records biometric data for non-EU citizens, which has caused significant delays since its full implementation on Friday.
On Saturday, the collection of biometric data had already been suspended during the morning to prevent passengers from missing their flights due to long queues.
The suspension applied only to departures, with biometric data collection continuing for arrivals. The PSP interrupted the system following missed flights caused by hours-long queues.
The PSP explained the suspension due to long waiting times at departures. At arrivals, biometric data is still being collected, they guarantee.
The stoppage began this Friday at 00:01 local time (23:01 Thursday in Lisbon) and ends at 22:00 local time (21:00 in Lisbon).
Operations at Madeira Airport are restricted due to bad weather, according to Aeroportos de Portugal. It also reports that no aircraft landed during this Thursday morning up until 10:45 AM.
The line was interrupted for about two hours following the accident, but it has since been reported that traffic has been restored.
Several companies in the sector intend to stop providing services outside of towns, specifically on motorways, toll roads, and expressways.
The wait at border control at Lisbon airport reached a peak of two hours this Sunday for those who arrived around 08:30, but has since decreased to less than an hour, according to the PSP and ANA. Contacted by the Lusa agency following reports from passengers indicating they had arrived in Lisbon around 06:00...
No intermediate stops are planned
Tiago Pereira has been in Thailand for about three weeks, unable to leave due to the conflict in the Middle East. The Portuguese citizen also complains about the lack of responses from the airline that was supposed to guarantee his flight home.
The national strike in Belgium has affected airports, public transport, and railways, already leading to the cancellation of more than two-thirds of flights for Thursday. The two airports serving the city (the main Brussels-National airport in Zaventem and Brussels South Charleroi Airport) have announced the cancellation of the majority of...
About a hundred Portuguese citizens are in Thailand without knowing when or how they will return to Portugal.
Fifty flights departing or arriving were cancelled on Monday. Weather forecasts indicate adverse conditions that may disrupt operations in the coming days.
Home News Bad weather suspends train service in Portugal Bad weather suspends train service in Portugal Long-distance trains on the Northern Railway Line between Porto and Lisbon have been suspended for safety reasons due to worsening weather conditions, with no resumption date scheduled, accordi
