Contacted by Lusa, the Portuguese oil company Galp, which leads the consortium that supplies the airport of Lisbon, refused to comment.

Earlier this morning, ANA said that “not having been assured minimum services and depending on the time required for the civil requisition to have practical effects,” the airport it manages could “have service disruptions at an operational level,” with the airport manager “accompanying the situation.”

ANA also said that “the emergency reserves at the Faro airport have been reached, with the fuel supply suspended by oil companies, since yesterday [Monday] night.”

In question is the national strike of hazardous goods lorry drivers, which began at midnight on Monday, was called by Portugal’s National Union of Drivers of Hazardous Material (SNMMP) for an indefinite period to claim recognition of the specific professional category, having challenged the minimum services set by the government.

In a statement to Lusa earlier on Tuesday, Francisco São Bento from the SNMMP said that the union expected the airports of Lisbon and Faro to run out of fuel in the afternoon.

According to the union’s data, at the beginning of the morning, about 40% to 50% of filling stations and supplies were already out of fuel.

However, Prio, a Portuguese company that distributes and sells fuel and produces biofuel, told Lusa it expects that almost half of its stations will run out of gas oil or petrol deposits by the end of the day and that it could also happen to other brands on Thursday.

The civil requisition was published on Tuesday in the Portuguese official gazette and shall take effect until 15 May.

It specified that on 16, 17 and 18 (between Tuesday and Thursday), “the lorry drivers to be requested must correspond to those available to ensure operations in minimum services and, in their absence or insufficiency, those in service.”