Heathrow strikes 'risk 20,000 summer flights and travel's reputation'
James ChappleSummer strike action at Heathrow airport could impact more than 20,000 flights, scheduled to provide in excess of 4.4 million seats, and risk causing further damage to travel’s reputation.
More than 2,000 members of security personnel across Terminals 3 and 5, as well as the airport’s security campus, will walk out over the next three months. The Unite union on Wednesday (7 June) confirmed 31 days of strike action running from late-June (24 June) through to the August bank holiday weekend.
It has accused Heathrow of failing to make its members "a fair pay offer", adding the long-running dispute could yet escalate further in the coming weeks. Last week, security personnel at Heathrow Terminal 3 voted in favour of joining their Terminal 5 and security campus colleagues in backing strike action.
Advantage Travel Partnership chief Julia Lo Bue-Said described the action as disappointing, and called on Heathrow to ensure its contingency plans were sufficiently robust to mitigate the impact of the strikes on travellers – particularly those seeking to get away on summer holidays.
A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport had already put a two-year "inflating-beating" pay rise on the table, adding passengers could rest assured the airport would do everything in its power to minimise disruption.
"Unite has already tried and failed to disrupt the airport on some of our busiest days," they added. "We continue to build our plans to protect journeys during any future action."
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, more than 42,600 flights are scheduled to depart Heathrow over the three-month strike window from 24 June to 27 August.
More than 20,000 flights are scheduled to depart Heathrow on strike days – 3,241 in June, 7,166 in July and 9,756 in August – placing upwards of 4.4 million seats at risk, including more than 2.1 million in August alone.
Airlines set to be impacted by the walkouts at Terminal 3 include Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Qatar Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, while the action at Terminal 5 will mainly affect British Airways.
Busy summer
Lo Bue-Said said the action, coupled with ongoing rail and Border Force strikes, would create further uncertainty for people booked to travel this summer, and risk additional damage to the travel industry’s image and reputation.
The Advantage chief executive called for Heathrow and the unions to find a suitable outcome as soon as possible. "We’re hopeful recent strikes have shown disruption has been minimal, but it doesn’t stop people from worrying and getting anxious."
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland added: “This summer is set to be one of the busiest in recent history, so it’s incredibly concerning to see more strikes have been announced at Heathrow, stretching into the school holidays.
"It’s essential that airlines and airports work together to keep travellers updated during this period of industrial action, and fulfil their legal obligations to passengers in the event of cancellations or delays.
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