Leeds Bradford’s Strike Weekend
About 130 Leeds Bradford Airport staff, air traffic controllers among them, plan to strike from 16 to 18 October. The airport expects near-normal operations; Unite disagrees.
Agents with clients flying from Leeds Bradford over the weekend of 16 to 18 October need to plan for two possible outcomes. Unite says about 130 airport workers, including air traffic controllers, will strike over pay, and that without air traffic control no flights can operate. The airport says it “currently expects near-normal operations.” Both cannot be right. As of 5 October, the airport had not announced a cancellation programme.
The dates
According to Unite, as reported by Travel Gossip:
- Hourly-paid staff (customer experience, security and cleaning) strike from 3am on Friday 16 October to 6am on Sunday 18 October.
- Air traffic control staff strike from 6am on Friday 16 October to 6am on Sunday 18 October.
The dispute
Pay talks began in December 2025, when a four-year pay deal ended. Unite says the airport’s offer falls short and that some roles have fallen behind equivalent jobs at other airports. It points to the airport’s results: turnover of £61.5 million in the year to 31 March 2025, up from £54 million.
“Leeds Bradford Airport is very profitable and can more than afford to come back to the table with an offer that doesn’t fall short of our members’ expectations,” said Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary. Regional officer Neil Whitaker said: “The airport is profitable, passenger numbers are growing and our members are a major part of its success. They deserve a fair pay rise.”
The airport calls its offer “fair, responsible and significantly above inflation” and says it is committed to further talks. “We are disappointed by this and do not believe strike action is the right way to resolve the issues still under discussion,” a spokesperson told the Yorkshire Evening Post. It has not published a cancellation programme and says passengers should follow airline notifications and its departure and arrival information.
Why it matters beyond Yorkshire
Leisure flying is the exposure. Jet2‘s newly launched winter 2027/28 city breaks programme lists Leeds Bradford among its 13 UK departure airports. Even a partial disruption would hit clients on packages, and the question of whether a contingency plan can cover air traffic control is the one that decides whether flights run.
Talks can still settle a dispute before a walkout, so the situation may change before 16 October.
For advisors
- List exposed bookings now. Pull every client departing or returning via Leeds Bradford between 16 and 18 October, including returns on Sunday morning.
- Package versus flight-only. Package clients are protected by their operator if flights are cancelled. Flight-only and separately booked hotels carry more risk. Check cancellation terms on any accommodation.
- Watch the airline, not the airport. Cancellations will come from carriers. Monitor operator and airline notices daily from the middle of next week.
- Offer alternatives early. For clients who can’t afford a delay, Manchester is the obvious option, and rebooking before any cancellation may be cheaper than after.
Sources
Jeff Cameron is a chief operating officer who writes about the business of travel: operations, pricing, loyalty and the decisions behind the trips, seen through an executive lens.