Heathrow airport aims for no cancelled flights during strikes

Border Force workers are due to strike from 23 December

Heathrow airport will do "everything it can" to ensure no flights are cancelled when Border Force staff go on strike over Christmas.

Six UK airports are due to be affected by the strike, starting on 23 December, which is over pay, pensions and jobs.

Delays in checking the passports of arriving passengers could lead to long queues and even people being held on planes, disrupting later departures.

Heathrow insists "the vast majority of travellers will be unaffected".

Passengers are being warned to expect delays and asked to be patient

Who is striking and why?

About 1,000 Border Force staff are expected to walk out every day from 23 December to the end of the year, except on 27 December.

The affected airports are:

• Heathrow

• Birmingham

• Cardiff

• Gatwick

• Glasgow

• Manchester

This is part of a bitter dispute over pay, pensions and jobs.

Military personnel are being trained to step in at airports if required.

Passengers who can use e-gates should be "largely unaffected" Heathrow said

Heathrow said in a statement: "We are doing everything we can to protect a full flight schedule on strike days, so departing passengers should expect to travel as normal.

"Arriving passengers with UK, EU, US, Canadian and some other passports will be able to use e-gates as usual and their journeys should be largely unaffected on strike days.

"Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible.

"We are continuing to support them to strengthen these plans so that as few people are impacted as possible.

"If passengers who cannot use e-gates are concerned about travelling during the strikes, their airline may be able to offer them alternative travel dates."

The Home Office and Border Force both said those travelling into the UK during the proposed walkout should be prepared to wait longer and asked them to be patient.

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