London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Fresh warning of disruption on airport strike days

Fresh warning of disruption on airport strike days

A senior Border Force official has warned airline and port passengers to expect disruption over Christmas due to planned strikes by staff.

Steve Dann, chief operating officer, said he hoped to keep all airports and ports open as about 1,000 Border Force workers walk out over pay.

Staff will strike on 23-26 and 28-31 December affecting arrivals to the UK.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports will be affected.

Staff at the port of Newhaven will also strike. All strikers are members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) which balloted for strike action after it said the government had refused to increase a 2% pay rise offer.

"In anticipation of the strike action, Border Force has for a number of months undertaken extensive planning, and we've been working with the travel industry and continue to work closely with all UK ports to assess the impacts of the announcement on the travelling public," Mr Dann said.

"We do have robust plans in place to minimise delays to passengers, but we've been very clear from the start that people should be prepared for disruption and take action to plan ahead."

Earlie this month, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said people should "think carefully" about their travel plans on strike days.

Military personnel, civil servants and Home Office volunteers have been trained to check passports when Border Force staff walk out.

But there are fears that delays in checking the passports of arriving passengers could lead to long queues and even people being held on planes, disrupting subsequent departures.

The PCS has said the replacement workers in have not been given sufficient training.

The union said its officers get five weeks training to do their jobs yet many of the stand-in staff have been given one week.

And it claimed civil servants from the National Crime Agency had been "trained at the last minute", with one day's training.

"You can't seriously expect people who have been trained for a day, or even a week, to do the job of officers with five weeks' training and many years experience," a PCS spokesperson said.

But Border Force managers believe they can maintain the same standards as normal for passport checks, and Mr Dann said safety and security at borders will be "non-negotiable".

Officials have refused to disclose the number of replacement staff or the length of training they have received.


Christmas break affected


It is the first Christmas since 2019 that airlines have been able to operate without Covid restrictions and up to two million passengers are expected to arrive between 23 and 31 December at the airports where the strikes will take place, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

It has previously said more than 10,000 flights are scheduled to arrive at Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports during the period.

Travel expert and commentator Simon Calder said he was concerned about whether staff will be able to cope with the rush of early morning passengers at Heathrow airport on Friday, as the Christmas getaway begins.

Mr Dann urged passengers to use the automated electronic passport gates at airports if possible.

The BBC understands that the Border Force asked airports that are expecting passenger numbers on strike days to be above 70-80% of 2019 levels to "supress demand".

The move led British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to stop selling new tickets for inbound flights to Heathrow on the strike days.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×