Travel chaos at Heathrow as 172 flights cancelled ahead of two-day strike at airport

Saturday, August 3, 2019

As the two-day day strike by more than 4,000 workers draws near, Heathrow Airport decided to cancel 172 flights. The holiday plans for Brits heading abroad could go awry. A two-day strike involving security guards, firefighters, engineers, passenger service operatives and passenger service drivers is due to start at 12.01 am on Monday and finish at 11.59 pm on Tuesday.

Due to the planned strikes next week, the airport has worked with 91 airlines including British Airways to proactively cancel 172 flights out of the hub.

British Airways, which is based at Heathrow, is expected to be one of the most heavily affected.

Unite said its 4,000 members rejected a revised pay deal by 88 per cent and last ditch talks will now be held to stop the strike.

The airport also advised passengers to allow plenty of time for their journey as queues may be longer than usual. They should arrive two hours before departure for UK and European flights and three hours for all other flights.

An earlier strike, which was due to take place on Friday July 26 and Saturday July 27, was suspended “while the workforce votes on a new pay offer”.

Along with the two dates ahead of August bank holiday, Heathrow could end up paying 4.6 pounds million in compensation to airlines according to Unite. There are a number of other strikes that could affect Brits this summer.

Heathrow previously said that the pay deal offered means frontline staff will receive a pay increase of 7.3 per cent over two years.

It added that the pay increase is higher than those recently offered to public sector staff and the airport’s own managerial team.

The airport had previously proposed a 4.6 per cent pay increase for 70 per cent of its frontline staff, with the remainder to receive 3.2 per cent increase over 18 months.

More strikes are in the anvil this summer.

« Back to Page

• Over 500 Flights Cancelled at Dubai Airport Where You’ve Booked ?

• Storm Strikes Sydney: 100+ Flights Cancelled, City Grapples with Travel Chaos

• Dense Delhi fog continues to disrupt flights and trains

• Jetstar plane collision at Sydney Airport leads to cancellation of flights

• 100 flights delayed as north India still struggles to beat the fog