Travelling amid Glasgow Airport strikes? Here's what you need to know
What is happening with the airport strikes?
Last Friday, Unite the union confirmed that around 100 workers would be taking part in 48 hours of summer strike action after a four per cent pay offer was rejected. The action will take place next Thursday (July 24) at 6am until Saturday July 26 at 05:59.
Discussions between Unite and AGS Airports, which owns Glasgow Airport, have been ongoing since March. The union claimed Glasgow Airport Limited was 'making the lowest pay offer despite it being the most profitable company at the airport'. A spokesperson for AGS airports described the offer as 'representing an above-inflation pay increase'.
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The strike dates clash with walkouts in Italy and Spain. A nationwide airline and airport strike is taking place in Italy on July 26 between 1pm and 5pm, which is expected to cause significant delays. Under Italian law, flights between 6am and 9am and 6pm and 9pm are protected from worker action; however, there could still be a secondary impact from earlier disruption.
Strikes are also forecast to take place across Spain as airline staff and airport workers walk out on July 26.
Glasgow Airport (Image: Colin Mearns)
What to do if you are flying during the Glasgow Airport strikes
Arriving early can offer peace of mind, but airport representatives advise passengers to show up at the airport as normal, allowing two hours to check in for a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight.
It is best to check with your airline for specific check-in times and for any updates regarding delays or cancellations. You can also track your aeroplane using an online tool like Flightradar24, which offers real-time information including departure and arrival times. You can search for specific flights using the flight number, airport or airline. You can keep on top of updates using X/Twitter as well.
Check for alternate routes to your destination from Edinburgh or Prestwick airports in case of any major delays or cancellations.
If possible, travel with hand luggage only.
What are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
Airlines are obligated to look after passengers affected by strikes, but you are unlikely to be entitled to compensation. Potential cancellations or disruptions caused by strike action on the ground are likely to be considered 'extraordinary circumstances', meaning airlines are not obliged to pay 'fixed sum compensation'.
If your flight is cancelled, you have the right to be rebooked on another flight as soon as possible. Airlines are required to reroute passengers amid strike action at airports under Article 8 of EC Regulation 261/2004 (EC261). While you are waiting to be rerouted, the airline is required to provide you with care, including meals and refreshments, hotel accommodation (if necessary), transport between the hotel and the airport, and access to communication like phone calls and Wi-Fi.
If you have to sort out your own rebooking or rerouting, keep all of your receipts for food, transport, tickets, and hotels to claim a reimbursement. Also, hang on to any screenshots or emails showing the original cancellation.
The same applies if your flight is diverted to another airport. If you are forced to land at Prestwick or Edinburgh, keep any receipts for alternative transport, as you may be able to claim them back.
A UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson said: 'We expect airlines to take all reasonable measures to minimise disruption for their passengers as a result of industrial action by airport staff, including keeping them well informed.
'However, passengers are unlikely to be entitled to compensation as industrial action is generally considered to be outside the airline's control and therefore tends to be considered an 'extraordinary circumstance'.'
Will flights be delayed, cancelled or diverted?
The Glasgow Airport strikes are not expected to cause any cancellations or significant disruptions, and officials said that no flights would be diverted due to the strike action.
A spokesperson for AGS Airports said: 'We will have contingency plans in place to ensure flights to and from the airport operate as close to schedule as possible, and our advice to passengers is to arrive at the airport as normal.
'We would also remind the public that the majority of airport staff are not part of this action as they are employed by airlines, security, handling and other companies which will operate as normal.'
It could be another story if strikes in Italy and Spain go ahead on July 26. Industrial action earlier this month caused dozens of delays and cancellations in both countries.
At the time of writing, airlines were selling tickets for flights departing Glasgow Airport on July 26 to destinations as normal, including destinations in both Italy and Spain.
Marissa MacWhirter is a columnist and feature writer at The Herald, and the editor of The Glasgow Wrap. The newsletter is curated between 5-7am each morning, bringing the best of local news to your inbox each morning without ads, clickbait, or hyperbole. Oh, and it's free. She can be found on X @marissaamayy1
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