It seems airport security staff is all set to hold strikes for 10 days over salaries, forcing a renowned airline to cut 5% of its schedule.
That’s right; British Airways will have to cancel over 300 flights to and from Heathrow during the Easter Holidays because of planned strikes by the airport security staff.
As a result, 16 return short-haul flights will be cancelled daily. According to the airline, alternative flights will be booked for affected customers within 24 hours. Otherwise, they’ll get a full refund.
For those who don’t know, Unite union members voted to strike against Heathrow in a pay dispute, as they only received a 10% increment after several years of pay freezes during COVID-19. These strikes are set to take place between 31 March and 9 April.
Those who work in the security lanes in Terminal 5 and campus security to check the cargo coming into the airport are the ones going on strikes. Don’t forget the security lanes in Terminal 5 are exclusively used by British Airways, which means it will be the most affected airline because of these strikes.
Moreover, Heathrow has asked airline companies, including British Airways, to sell a limited number of tickets, as long lines are expected at the airport during the strikes. Consequently, volunteer staff will be responsible for minimizing delays and keeping every passenger informed. On the other hand, security lanes will be managed by the Contingency staff.
Heathrow has also advised passengers to confirm their flight status before coming to the airport and avoid arriving prematurely. This is because early arrival caused a lot of panic over airport queues last year because of staff shortages.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on UK immigration.
