In short: we currently know of no announced strike at UK airports or UK airlines likely to disrupt flights. UK unions must ballot members and give 10 days’ notice. Under UK261, strikes by airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control or Border Force are usually extraordinary circumstances; a strike by the airline’s own staff usually means £220–£520. A refund or re-routing and care are owed either way. Last checked: 10 November 2026.
Strikes in the UK
As of 10 November 2026 we know of no announced strike at a UK airport or UK airline that is likely to disrupt flights. Several 2026 disputes – at Leeds Bradford, Gatwick, Heathrow and Loganair – were suspended or settled before strikes went ahead. For strikes abroad, see the full strike calendar.
Recent and called-off strikes
- 23 October 2026 – 2 November 2026 – Leeds Bradford Airport: air traffic controllers and hourly paid staff (Unite) (called off). Half-term strikes by more than 130 workers were suspended on 19 October for Acas-brokered pay talks; earlier dates (16–18 October) had already been called off. Unite said action was not ruled out. (Yorkshire Post (19 Oct 2026))
Who goes on strike in the UK
Airport staff and contractors
Most UK aviation disputes involve airport workers: security officers, baggage handlers, passenger assistance staff, fire crews and the staff of contractors such as ground handlers, caterers and security firms. They are usually represented by Unite or GMB. In 2026, pay disputes involving contractor staff at Gatwick and Heathrow ended with improved pay deals, while at Leeds Bradford Airport air traffic controllers and hourly paid staff planned strikes in October before suspending them for talks.
Air traffic controllers
NATS controls UK en-route airspace and the towers at many large airports. Some regional airports employ their own controllers or use other providers – which is why a local dispute such as Leeds Bradford’s in 2026 can threaten to close an airport for days. A strike by controllers is an extraordinary circumstance for the airline.
Airline crews
Pilots (usually represented by BALPA) and cabin crew (usually Unite or GMB) at UK airlines strike less often than their counterparts in France or Italy, but ballots are common. Loganair cabin crew, for example, were balloted in October 2026 and accepted an improved pay offer in early November. A strike by an airline’s own crew usually gives you compensation.
Border Force
Border Force officers, who run passport control, are civil servants and have struck in past pay disputes, leading to long queues for arriving passengers. This does not normally cancel flights, and it does not give a right to compensation from the airline.
How UK strikes are called
- Ballot. A union must hold a postal ballot of the members concerned and win it under the statutory rules before industrial action is lawful.
- Notice. The union must then give the employer at least 10 days’ notice of the action. This was reduced from 14 days by the Employment Rights Act 2025 for notices received from 18 February 2026.
- Mandate. A successful ballot now covers action for 12 months (it was 6 months), so strikes can be called again later in the same dispute without a new ballot.
- No minimum service levels. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was repealed on 18 December 2025.
In practice, UK strikes are announced at least ten days ahead, usually by the union in a press release, and are often called off after a new offer – sometimes only a day or two before. Your airline and airport websites are the best place to check the latest position.
Strikes abroad that hit UK flights
For UK travellers, strikes in other countries are a bigger risk than strikes at home:
- France – French air traffic control strikes disrupt flights from the UK to Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece that only cross French airspace. During the French strike of 3–4 July 2025, Ryanair said most of the passengers on its 170 cancelled flights were only overflying France.
- Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece – strikes at destination airports or by local airline crews, such as easyJet’s Portugal-based cabin crew.
- Germany and Belgium – Lufthansa crew strikes and Belgian national strike days that close Brussels Airport departures.
Your rights under UK261
UK261 is the UK version of EU261. It covers all flights departing from a UK airport, and flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline. Flights from the EU to the UK are covered by EU261. The amounts under UK261 are £220 (up to 1,500 km), £350 (1,500–3,500 km) and £520 (over 3,500 km); see our UK261 guide.
| Who is on strike | Compensation | Care and refund or re-routing |
|---|---|---|
| Airport, security or ground-handling staff | Usually not due – extraordinary circumstance | Always owed |
| Air traffic controllers (UK or abroad) | Usually not due | Always owed |
| Border Force | Usually not due (and flights rarely cancelled) | Always owed if the flight is delayed or cancelled |
| The airline’s own pilots or cabin crew | Usually due: £220 / £350 / £520 | Always owed |
The CAA’s guidance lists “strikes by airport staff, ground handlers, ATC or Border Force” among the circumstances likely to be extraordinary. A strike by the airline’s own staff is not: the Court of Justice of the EU decided this in C-28/20 (Airhelp v SAS, 23 March 2021). That judgment was given after the end of the Brexit transition period, so UK courts are not bound by it, although they may take it into account. Earlier case law from before Brexit still forms part of UK law – including Krüsemann (C-195/17, 2018), where a “wildcat” strike by an airline’s own staff in the form of mass sick leave was held not to be extraordinary. More detail: strikes and extraordinary circumstances.
Whatever the cause, if your flight is delayed by 2 hours or more (depending on distance) the airline must provide food and drink and two phone calls or e-mails, and a hotel if you are delayed overnight. If your flight is cancelled you can choose a refund or re-routing. If the airline does not deal with your claim within 8 weeks, you can go to its ADR scheme or the CAA – see how to claim.
Flight cancelled or delayed by a strike? Check what UK261 gives you
Two minutes, free, no sign-up.
Strike days at the UK’s airports since 2024
EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at the UK’s airports between January 2024 and 30 September 2026. Strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere and by airline staff are not included. Check a specific day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get compensation if UK airport staff go on strike?
Usually not. The CAA lists strikes by airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control and Border Force among the events likely to be extraordinary circumstances. You are still entitled to a refund or re-routing and to care (meals, refreshments and, if needed, a hotel).
What if British Airways or easyJet crew go on strike?
Then compensation is usually due under UK261 (or EU261): £220, £350 or £520 depending on distance, if your flight was cancelled less than 14 days before departure or arrived 3+ hours late. A strike by the airline’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance.
How much notice is given before a UK airport strike?
Unions must hold a ballot and then give the employer at least 10 days’ notice of industrial action (14 days before 18 February 2026). So UK strikes are usually public at least ten days ahead – but many are suspended or called off after new pay offers.
My flight from Manchester to Spain was cancelled because of a French air traffic control strike. Can I claim?
Usually not compensation, because an air traffic control strike is an extraordinary circumstance. But UK261 still gives you the right to a refund or re-routing and to care while you wait.
Is there a minimum service rule for UK airports during strikes?
No. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which allowed minimum service levels for border security among other services, was repealed by the Employment Rights Act 2025 on 18 December 2025.
Strike dates are taken from union announcements, official notices and press reports; each entry lists its sources. UK strikes are often suspended at short notice – always check with your airline and airport. Last checked: 10 November 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Am I entitled to compensation? (extraordinary circumstances, including strikes) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Delays – care and compensation under UK law – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Employment Rights Act 2025 – trade union and industrial action changes – Acas
- Employment Rights Act: key changes from February 2026 – Browne Jacobson
- Leeds Bradford Airport strikes suspended as more than 130 workers enter fresh pay talks (19 October 2026) – The Yorkshire Post
- Airports strikes 2026 – latest updates (Loganair, Gatwick, Heathrow, Leeds Bradford) – Strike Calendar UK
- Ryanair cancels 170 flights due to French ATC strike (3 July 2025) – Ryanair Holdings (SEC filing)
- Judgment C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS (23 March 2021) – Court of Justice of the EU
- Press release on C-195/17 Krüsemann v TUIfly (17 April 2018) – Court of Justice of the EU
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