Contingency plans in place at Heathrow for Christmas strike threat
Airports threatened by strike action a few days before Christmas have promised passengers there will be little or no disruption as a result.
Ground handling and cargo staff working for dnata at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports are planning a two-day strike from December 23 unless their bosses agree to talks over a pay dispute.
Heathrow played down the impact of any strike action, saying only a small number of dnata staff have announced their intention to strike at the airport.
Dnata staff provide ground handling and check-in services to some airlines at Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4.
"Dnata has contingency plans in place to minimise disruption for passengers," said a spokesman.
"Heathrow will have extra staff on duty to support passengers with their journey."
But it still warned passengers to allow plenty of time for travelling through the airport and speak to their airline if they have any concerns.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Gatwick said dnata only has a ‘tiny’ number of cargo handlers employed at the airport, working for Emirates and Virgin.
"If the strike does go ahead, it will have no impact on passenger flights," he said.
And a spokesman for Manchester Airport said the proposed strikes will have no impact on its passengers either.
"Any strike action at the airport will only affect the cargo operations of a small number of airlines flying from here," he explained.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers