The low cost airline sector serving Portugal is quietly printing money as TAP customers are forced to change carrier due to the current strike.
In the first four days of the pilots strike, the government has suggested a tentative figure of €10 million lost but industry insiders expect the knock-on affects to hike the losses to at least double this figure.
Ryanair, easyJet, Vueling, Transavia and GermanWings have not exactly denied that they are somewhat busier than usual,
"We are delighted with the increase in bookings during this period" said a Ryanair spokesman as TAP admitted that 30% of its flights had been cancelled.
The pilots union called the ten day strike on the grounds that the government is not sticking to an agreement signed in December 2014, and another in 1999 which gave pilots the right to a stake of up to 20% in TAP after it is privatised.
The government has said that the strike has generated losses of €10 million and if the privatisation has to be cancelled then there will be massive layoffs and cutbacks.
Meanwhile, another labour situation is summering at Faro airport where the ANA director sacked a group company providing services, with the loss of 12 jobs.
The union says this was just a way of getting rid of Portway workers who had been claiming better conditions and recognition. The Director says he wanted a company that was more efficient and reliable even thiough Portway is owned by Vinci Group whch owns ANA.
Portway dismissed the 12 Faro workers that had been employed to operate the telescopic sleeves that connect to aircraft from the terminal gates.
The union wants the workers reinstated and the management says they must go. Trouble threatens.
