Passengers expected to face ‘two hour queues’ at Gatwick amid strikes, says airport boss
A severe traffic warning has been issued to drivers, Border Force officials are on strike and a union has warned of a “huge escalation” in walkouts next year as millions embark on Christmas getaway journeys.
The RAC, which expects 7.9 million leisure journeys to be made across the UK on Friday and Christmas Eve combined, published the alert for a stretch of the M25.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We’re expecting to see lengthy delays on parts of the M25 today as Christmas getaway and end-of-the-week commuter traffic combine.
“We advise drivers, if possible, to avoid these roads around this time or delay their trips until after 7pm this evening when traffic is predicted to be lighter.”
More than a quarter of a million passengers arriving on thousands of flights to the UK today have been warned of delays due to strikes by Border Force staff.
The walkout will affect travellers at Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Gatwick, Glasgow and Manchester airports, and the port of Newhaven in East Sussex.
Striking Border Force staff will be joined by employees at the National Highways, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Royal Mail.
‘Love actually’
Simon Calder, The Independent’s travel correspondent, has been at Gatwick airport since 5.30am, meeting passengers at International Arrivals at the North Terminal.
“It’s much more ‘Love Actually’ than it is ‘The nightmare before Christmas’,” he reports.
“Passengers who are coming through are reporting to me that either they used the eGates, which was absolutely fine, or – if they were travelling with a family – found the transactions at the border very smooth.
(Simon Calder)
“The Navy and Air Force have supplied personnel – no one will tell me how many – and so far there are no reports of long waits.
“If we are going to see really significant issues it’s going to be around the M25 at Heathrow rather than here at Gatwick – or indeed at Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff or Glasgow
“The Home Office, the airports and the airlines have modelled the likely flows of passengers according to scheduled arrivals.
“Where flight disruption is taking place – such as arrivals from the deep-frozen Midwest in the US – that…
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