Gatwick downplays effect of Easter strikes

Gatwick Airport has downplayed the effect industrial action by baggage handlers will have on flights over the Easter weekend.

Members of the Unite union working for ground handling firm Red Handling have rejected a last-minute deal to call off the strikes.

It means some baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers at the airport will strike from Friday until Tuesday morning.

But Nick Williams, head of passenger operations at Gatwick, said only a small number of airlines would be affected.

"It's a very small number of airlines who don't operate a huge number of flights, so we're not talking about big-scale impact," he said.

"We're working really closely with those airlines to try and mitigate that impact and hope that as many of those flights operate as close to schedule as possible.

"We'd advise passengers to check their airline of the weekend."

Unite said more than a hundred workers at the airport are striking over a number of issues, including pensions not being paid.

The union said there would be "major disruption" for passengers flying with Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace airlines. Roughly 50 flights will be affected each day.

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