Strikes lasting 19 days at Edinburgh Airport to ground flights over Christmas and New Year

International and domestic flights out of Edinburgh Airport could be disrupted over Christmas and New Year after a leading union announced that tanker drivers were taking strike action.

Unite said North Air fuel tanker drivers based at the airport would take continuous strike action over 19 days in a dispute over pay.

The industrial action will start at 5am on December 18 and run until January 6.

Passengers at Edinburgh Airport could face disruption, with the potential for flights to be grounded by the strike action. Picture: PA | PA

The pay dispute relates to a rejected 4.5 per cent pay offer by North Air after years of below-inflation pay increases, according to Unite.

North Air provides refuelling services for domestic and international airlines that fly into and out of Scotland’s largest airport.

Unite said routes including United Airlines to New York and Emirates to Dubai, as well as Loganair’s domestic flights to the islands, could all be directly impacted by the strike action.

Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “North Air is a highly profitable company that can fully afford to make a fair offer to our members but has refused to do so. Unite will always support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.”

The union said its members had overwhelmingly backed the strike action.

Carrie Binnie, Unite industrial officer, said: “North Air has no concern for their workers or the travelling public.

“Unite has had no option, but to confirm imminent industrial action. North Air now has very limited time to resolve this dispute. The company's belligerence is at serious risk of causing widespread travel disruption at Edinburgh airport over the festive season.”

North Air said it employs 57 people at the airport and of these, 46 are operational workers who deal with refuelling and vehicle movements and could strike.

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.”

A Edinburgh Airport spokesperson 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.”

Natalie Bush, chief operating officer for Loganair, said: "Loganair plan to operate a full and uninterrupted service throughout the festive period."

Unite has previously stressed it has secured a string of successes as part of its Runway To Success campaign. The initiative was designed to establish standards above legal minimums across Scottish airports and has included a 26.7 per cent pay package for Loganair cabin crew, and a 12 per cent basic increase in pay for Edinburgh Airport Services workers.

Around 370,000 people are expected to travel through the airport between December 22 and January 1, with the festive period one of the transport hub’s busiest times of the year.

Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, previously said in a statement to mark the Christmas countdown: “The festive season is one that many of us want to spend with family and friends and we are thrilled to help people reconnect at home and abroad – it’s our Christmas gift to them.”

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