Easter strikes by Heathrow staff lead to cancellation of 300 British Airways flights

Over the Easter holiday season, British Airways will not operate more than 300 flights to and from Heathrow, as airport security personnel are expected to go on strike.

The airline plans to reduce its schedule by approximately 5% and has decided to scrap 16 short-haul return flights per day. It has stated that most customers impacted by this change will be offered alternative flight options within 24 hours or will receive a complete refund.

Unite union associates have decided to go on strike due to a disagreement over pay with Heathrow. After experiencing wage freezes amid the Covid pandemic for several years, the airport has made a proposal of a 10% increase, which was not accepted by the union members.

The employees who are on strike are responsible for working in the security lanes of Terminal 5, which are solely utilized by British Airways. Additionally, they are also in charge of campus security, where they screen all shipments entering the airport. The strikes have been scheduled to occur from Friday 31 March until Easter Sunday on 9 April.

A representative from British Airways stated that they have had to make some changes to their flight schedule after Heathrow Airport requested them to reduce the number of passengers during the proposed strike by its employees. The airline expressed regret for this inconvenience caused to their customers and assured that their teams are working closely with Heathrow to ensure a seamless travel experience.

Heathrow has requested multiple airlines, including BA, to reduce ticket sales to lower the number of passengers, as it is predicted that there will be lengthy lines during one of the busiest seasons. Staff members who were not originally scheduled to work will be assigned to manage the security lanes, and other employees have volunteered to keep passengers informed and reduce wait times.

According to BA, customers have the option to check-in their hand luggage allowance without paying any fees in order to reduce the length of security queues.

Someone who speaks on behalf of Heathrow airport stated that they won't allow these strikes to affect the vacations of the travelers who have worked hard for them. They have made plans to ensure that the airport will function normally. They have arranged for 1,000 extra workers and the whole management team to help passengers during the busy Easter season. They will be present in the terminals to offer support to those in need.

During times when there is a lot of activity, the process of passing through security may take a bit more time than usual, but it will be appropriately controlled and remain continuously in motion.

Before heading to Heathrow, travelers are recommended by the airport to examine the status of their scheduled flight and be prepared for security procedures. Unnecessary early arrivals are discouraged, as they can exacerbate terminal disarray caused by last year's airport queue chaos resulting from a lack of personnel.

Discussions between the Unite labor union and Heathrow airport came to a halt on Thursday, after a lengthy 12-hour negotiation session. As far as we know, there are no further conversations scheduled that could prevent the planned strikes.

Sharon Graham, who is the general secretary of Unite, criticized Heathrow for paying their airport workers low wages while their top boss and other senior managers receive exceptionally high salaries. She also stated that the union members went on strike not because of greed, but because of the urgent need for fair compensation.

Ryanair has requested assistance from the European Union to safeguard global flights passing over France while strikes take place. This follows the impact of the recent French air traffic control action which caused 25% of Ryanair's flights to various European destinations to be delayed over the weekend.