On the first day of a strike by security staff at London Heathrow Terminal 5, British Airways has cancelled 72 flights – affecting an estimated 10,000 passengers.
After last-ditch talks on Thursday night failed, around 1,400 members of the Unite union working in security at Heathrow airport have walked out from Friday 31 March until Easter Sunday, 9 April.
The majority work at security checkpoints at Terminal 5, with others staffing control posts across the airport where vehicles go “airside”.
Unite’s regional co-ordinating officer, Wayne King, said: “Heathrow airport has thrown away the opportunity to avoid strikes.
“The strike action will undoubtedly result in severe delays and disruption to passengers across the airport but this dispute is a direct result of Heathrow airport’s stubborn refusal to pay its workers fairly.”
This weekend is likely to be the spell of maximum pressure at Britain’s busiest airport, with many schools breaking up ahead of Easter on Friday.
But a Heathrow spokesperson said: “We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers.
“Our contingency plans will keep the airport operating as normal throughout. We are deploying 1,000 additional colleagues and the entire management team who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the busy Easter getaway.
“Colleagues could have an above-inflation 10 per cent pay increase back-dated to 1 January and a lump sum payment of £1,150, but instead they’re left empty-handed by Unite’s actions.“
Heathrow told British Airways – the only airline at Terminal 5 – to ground 32 of its planned daily departures to reduce the strain on the security search area.
But on the first day of the strike BA has cancelled more than 70 flights, sharply reducing the number of passengers who would normally use the terminal.
Among domestic destinations, Aberdeen, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle are seeing cancellations on British Airways.
In Europe, multiple services to Amsterdam, Nice, Stockholm and Zurich are axed, along with departures to a wide range of other destinations including Athens, Vienna and Palma de Mallorca.
One transatlantic link on Friday 31 March to each of Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Seattle and Washington DC has been grounded.
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