Airport strike passengers told to contact airlines

[August 18th 2008]

As the threat of airport strikes looms this Bank Holiday Monday, passengers are being advised to contact their airline to find out whether their flight will be affected.

Strike action by baggage handlers and check in staff has already been announced at Gatwick and Stansted airports. Members of trades union Unite who work for airport services group Swissport at Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle airports are also being balloted about strike action this week and are expected to vote in favour.

Airport operator BAA, which owns Gatwick and Stansted airports, has issued advice for passengers at Stansted airport but so far has not made any comment about the impact of the strike at Gatwick.

“Following today's (Friday’s) announcement by the GMB and Unite unions regarding potential strike action by Swissport staff at Stansted on August 25 and August 29; we would advise passengers due to travel during this period to contact their airline,” a BAA spokesperson said.

“The main airlines at Stansted impacted by the Swissport strike action are: Ryanair, easyJet, Air Malta, Blue Air, Cyprus Airways, First Choice Airlines, Germanwings, Monarch, Norwegian, Thomsonfly, and Turkish Airlines,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile budget airline Ryanair has vowed that its flights will not be affected by strike action. “Ryanair intends to operate a full schedule of flights to/from Stansted and Gatwick airports on Monday 25th and Friday 29th August next, even if a planned strike by check-in and baggage handling workers goes ahead,” the airline said in a press statement.

“Ryanair will not allow its passengers to be held to ransom by the unreasonable demands of Unions and all flights will go ahead by allowing passengers to use Ryanair’s web check-in and carry on luggage only, should the strike go ahead,” the statement continues.

The low fares airline says it will contact passengers and ask them to use web check in and hand luggage only so that flights can operate as normal. However, Ryanair does not say whether flights will be delayed if some passengers choose to take hold baggage.

Written by: Nick Purdom

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