Airport delays expected as border staff strike

Passengers traveling through British airports over the festive break could face delays this week and next, as Border Force workers at several major hubs including the country's busiest, Heathrow, go on strike.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services, or PCS, union, employed by the Home Office to check passports, will stage walkouts, starting on Friday, amid a wave of strike action across the country in several sectors this week.

Airports including Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow will be hit by the industrial action from Dec 23 to 26 and from Dec 28 to Dec 31. According to the PCS union, which is seeking a 10 percent pay rise and fighting cuts to pensions and redundancy deals, about 1,000 Border Force staff will take part in the strikes.

Data from aviation analyst Cirium shows more than 10,000 flights, or the equivalent of two million airline seats, are scheduled to land at the airports on the dates affected, with Heathrow hardest hit.

The government has called on around 600 military personnel, civil servants and volunteers to support Border Force on the strike days. Officials are most concerned about the impact on passport control during the second week of planned action, when hundreds of thousands of travelers who have been abroad for Christmas return home.

Trade body ABTA said airports are bracing for their busiest festive period since 2019, with more than 5 million British citizens expected to travel abroad.

The Civil Aviation Authority said delays in passing through immigration during this period could lead to planes being unable to unload and turn around as quickly, causing a domino effect of disruption.

The Press Association news agency reported that Border Force has urged airlines to cut their strike-day schedules by up to 30 percent to allow for reduced staffing, but noted that, as of Monday, no cancellations had been announced.

A source close to the talks told The Times newspaper: "Delays of two hours at the border are being routinely discussed in meetings. If everything backs up, or anything (such as e-gates) fails, then airports will have to instruct that passengers are held on planes to prevent overcrowding."

They added: "Border Force are talking about moving staff around the country but it is a very busy period".

Travelers in the UK also face disruption on the railways during the festive period, with more than 40,000 rail workers due to walkout from Dec 24 to 27, as well as on Jan 3 and 4, and Jan 6 and 7.

Nurses, ambulance drivers and driving examiners are also staging strikes this week. National Highways workers, including control room staff and traffic officers, will take industrial action from Thursday to Christmas Day.