Fuel tanker drivers working for North Air at Edinburgh Airport will strike for 19 days over Christmas and New Year due to a pay dispute.
The Unite union says the walk-out will begin at 5am on Wednesday 18 December, a week before Christmas. It will end at the same time on Monday 6 January. This stretch takes in the expected busiest days of the winter at the capital’s airport.
The union says the firm’s “belligerence” will “ground domestic and international flights over the festive season”.
Unite says: “Prestigious routes including United Airlines to New York and Emirates to Dubai along with Loganair’s domestic routes to the islands could be directly impacted.”
A spokesperson for the airport said: “We are disappointed that the two parties cannot reach a solution and urge them to continue discussions.
“We’re working with our airlines to understand their contingencies to minimise passenger disruption.”
A spokesperson for North Air said: “We are disappointed at Unite’s decision to proceed with industrial action at Edinburgh airport.
“We successfully concluded negotiations with Unite at six other sites ahead of the annual review this summer, which has seen colleagues across the business receive a 4.5 per cent increase in pay – significantly above current levels of inflation.
“We remain open to discussion and are committed to working with all parties to minimise the impact of any strike action over the festive period.”
Of the three airlines mentioned by Unite, Loganair is likely to be largely unaffected. If contingency arrangements to provide fuel at Edinburgh do not succeed, pilots can load extra fuel at locations such as the Isle of Man, Stornoway, Orkney and Shetland. This is known as “tankering”. The link with Southampton, a distance of over 350 miles, could prove more difficult due to runway payload restrictions.
United and Emirates would not load extra fuel for a return journey to New York or Dubai respectively because it would make the aircraft to land within normal parameters .
During previous events when fuel has not been available at an airport, long-haul carriers have flown short distances – such as London Heathrow to Stansted – to refuel.
The union says North Air has refused to re-enter negotiations with Unite after a 4.5 per cent pay offer by the company was rejected.
Carrie Binnie, Unite industrial officer, said: “North Air has no concern for their workers or the travelling public.
“The company’s belligerence is at serious risk of causing widespread travel disruption at Edinburgh Airport over the festive season.”
The union’s announcement says “North Air is the only fuel supply company providing services to domestic and long-haul flights from Edinburgh airport.”
According to the Capa Centre for Aviation, North Air is one of five refuelling companies at Edinburgh airport, alongside Air BP, Shell Aviation, Q8 Aviation and Skytanking. The leading airlines at the hub – easyJet, British Airways and Ryanair – will not be affected.