BREAKING NEWS – World cup flights affected as ground staff to strike at Heathrow

UPDATE: Russian soldier arrested for starting nightclub blaze that killed 13

Russian soldier arrested for starting nightclub blaze that killed 13

Ground staff are to strike at Heathrow airport service providers Menzies and Dnata for three days from November 18.

The strike announced today Friday, November 4 by the Unite Union said around 700 ground workers would be affected.

These individuals provide ground-handling services, airside transport and cargo handling and will cause disruption to services operating from terminals 2, 3 and 4. 

The strike will affect many airlines but perhaps most affected will be Qatar Airways who has put on extra flights that week for the World Cup

Other airlines that are affected include Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Cathay-Pacific and Emirates.

A key travel period, passengers returning to the United States for Thanksgiving will also be affected. 

Airports and airlines continue to be affected across Europe by staff shortages and industrial action. What is notable is that the choice of dates for staff to strike have been specifically chosen to cause as much disruption as possible, in what appears to be a strategy designed to put more pressure on employers by inconveniencing passengers. 

The strike by ground staff is relatively small given the scale of operations at Heathrow but it is still likely to impact a significant number of flights and passengers. But with adequate notice airlines should be in a position to make appropriate preparations. 


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Written by

Peter McLaren-Kennedy

Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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