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Delay at the border is most likely as several flights land at the same time.
Julia Lo Bue SaidCEO of The Travel Advantage Partnership Group, the UK’s largest independent travel agent group, predicts that “the vast majority of people are likely to face NO major delays at passport control”.
Anxious times today for travelers flying to the 6 UK airports affected by #border force the blows. As things go down, the vast majority of people will likely NOT face major delays at passport control, when multiple flights arrive at the same time, there is always a queue.
— Julia Lo Bue-Said (@jlo_said) December 23, 2022
Full story: Border Force staff join strikes as postal workers walk out again
White Topham
Heathrow, the largest of six airports where Border Force staff are on strike, has said it expected the vast majority of journeys to be unaffected, with no flights canceled ahead of the industrial action.
About 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will go on strike for the rest of 2022, except for December 27.
Just under 9,000 flights are now scheduled to be grounded at the six affected airports – Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester – during the strikes, carrying up to 1.8 million passengers, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Officials will also crack down on a seaport, Newhaven in East Sussex.
Airports are confident that emergency staff and electronic gates, which will not be affected, will process most passengers effectively during the strikes. The volume of passengers traveling through airports is still only about 85% of pre-pandemic levels.
Here’s the full story:
Gatwick: Flights are operating as normal, but passport controls will take longer
Flights are operating normally at Gatwick this morning, he says Adam Joneshead of passenger operations at the airport, as the Border Force strike begins.
He told Sky News that everything was running smoothly at the border this morning, with emergency staff in place. He is confident the airport will operate normally, with flights arriving and departing on time.
Jones say:
We expect passport controls to take a little longer and we anticipate some disruptions, but flights are operating as normal – arrivals and departures – and we expect that to continue.
The passport control booths at Gatwick are being staffed by Border Force staff who are not taking part in the strike, Jones added, along with members of the armed forces and volunteers from across the Home Office who have been trained to operate the check. border.
At very busy times, there can be two hours of disruption at the border, Jones predicts — noting that eGates are also available.
To use an eGate, you need a biometric symbol in your passport, be at least 12 years old, be either a British citizen or a citizen of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand , Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA, or be a member of the Registered Traveler Service.
Coming from outside the UK? There may be longer waits at Passport Control today due to Border Force strikes 🛂
Use electronic gates if you have a suitable biometric passport, remove hats, headphones + masks 👒🎧
Allow extra time for your onward journey
ℹ https://t.co/UcSzIxxd9Z pic.twitter.com/dS7YM6B42I— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) December 23, 2022
Jones adds that he sees no risk of Gatwick having to close – but if demand becomes excessive, the airport will control the amount of traffic it receives.
“The flights are operating normally.”
Gatwick Airport head of passenger operations Adam Jones says passport checks are expected to take “a little longer” due to Border Force raids – but insists everything is “working well” with contingent staff.https://t .co/mfslthH9jU pic.twitter.com/hjm57Y9LkB
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 23, 2022
Introduction: Border Force staff strike as Christmas run-off begins
Good morning.
Hundreds of thousands of air passengers face potential disruption over the coming days as Border Force workers join the ranks of striking workers in the UK.
And with postal workers and National Highways staff also taking industrial action, and an out-of-hours rail strike, people face disruption and delays in the Christmas rush.
Passengers arriving at some UK airports are being warned to expect delays due to the strike action, which involves border control staff checking passports.
The actions will affect London airports Heathrow AND Gatwickplus Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester AND Glasgow and the port of Newhaven on the south coast.
They will take place from today to December 26 and again from December 28 to 31.
The Border Force strike is being organized by Public and Commercial Services Unionwhich demands a 10% wage increase, “pension justice”, job security and no cuts to redundancy conditions.
PC general secretary mark Servo urged the government earlier this month to put “money on the table” to stop the strikes, saying:
“Like many workers, our members are struggling with the cost of living crisis. They are desperate. They are told there is no money for them as they watch ministers handing out government contracts worth billions of pounds to their cronies.
“Some sectors of the media have accused us of playing politics with these strikes. Let me be clear: our dispute is with the employer.
“We will fight to improve the pay, terms and conditions of our members, regardless of who is in Downing Street.”
The UK government has made preparations to limit the impact of the move, including training military personnel “to step in and keep our border secure”.
Hundreds of Armed Forces personnel will provide support at airports in England and Scotland while Border Force staff will take strike action.
Around 625 military personnel will be on hand, with the majority stationed at the UK’s busiest airport at Heathrow.
👇 https://t.co/y7npoVX4Nt
— Forces News (@ForcesNews) December 23, 2022
But it also says travelers arriving in the UK over the Christmas period should expect delays and disruption. This can include longer waiting times at passport control and possible travel disruptions.
However, eGates should still work, so passengers with compatible passports should use them.
Steve Dann, Border Force the chief of operations apologized for any inconvenience caused, adding:
Border Force’s number one priority is keeping our citizens safe and our borders secure. We are working together with partners across the travel industry to ensure we can continue to meet critical demands and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border.
During periods of industrial action, travelers should prepare for disruption.
We encourage everyone to check the latest advice from your operators before you travel.
Thousands of Royal Mail workers have launched a two-day strike today. including members of the Communication Workers Union who collect, sort and deliver packages and letters.
Royal Mail says its Customer Service Points will be closed on strike days (Friday 23 and Saturday 24 December) for collection or drop off of items. The company also said it will do everything it can to ensure the delivery of last-minute Christmas cards and packages.
The employees of the National Highways started the strike yesterday which will run until Christmas Day as millions of people embark on their Christmas getaways by road.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, including control center staff and traffic officers, are on strike in London and the south-east. It follows two days of bans by PCS members on December 16 and 17 in the North West and Yorkshire.
The four days of industrial action by the 46 members will be at three warehouses across the region, in Godstone, Guildford and Winchester, the union said.
