Warning of UK Christmas airport disruption as strikes escalate

Passengers flying into the UK have been warned to expect disruption over Christmas as passport officers join the wave of strikes gripping the country. Border Force staff at six of the UK’s busiest airports, including London Heathrow and Gatwick, will walk out from Friday in a row over pay rises as part of a series of strikes from the PCS union. Steve Dann, Border Force’s COO, on Wednesday said there were “robust plans” in place to minimise queues, but that passengers “should be prepared for disruption and take action to plan ahead”. The action will take place between December 23 and 26 and then again between December 28 and 31; around 10,000 flights are expected to land over that period. The walkout comes as public sector workers including railway staff, nurses and ambulance drivers have all taken part in industrial action this month in protest over low pay rises at a time of high inflation. Electronic passport gates will remain open as normal, and departing passengers are not expected to be caught up in the problems. Dann raised the prospect of closing some airports as a worst-case scenario if disruption were to spiral out of control, but he said he had a “reasonable expectation” that government contingency plans would keep borders open and flowing. Industry executives privately dismissed the possibility of closures. UK government officials and the aviation industry have spent the past month scrambling to prepare plans to keep people moving during one of the busiest periods of the year.<br/>