Leeds Bradford Airport warning issued in major alert to brits heading abroad
Holidaymakers face travel delays and cancellations
Leeds Bradford Airport is set to shut during a weekend of strike action over pay.
Almost 130 workers at the airport are due to walk out in a dispute which Unite says could bring flights to and from the airport to a standstill. The workers include air traffic control staff, customer experience teams, security workers and cleaners.
The union says members have recently come out of a four-year pay deal and some roles are now paid less than equivalent jobs at other airports. Pay talks have been taking place since December 2025, but Unite says the airport's latest formal offer does not go far enough to address what it describes as a lack of pay parity.
The first strike is due to begin at 3am on Friday, October, 16 for hourly paid staff and at 6am for air traffic control workers. The action is scheduled to continue until 6am on Sunday, October, 18. Unite says the industrial action will effectively shut the airport because flights cannot operate without air traffic control, while passengers would also be unable to arrive or depart without passport control and staff working inside the terminal.
The dispute comes as Leeds Bradford Airport continues to see strong passenger numbers. The airport recorded turnover of £61.5m for the year ending March 31, 2025, up from £54m the previous year.
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The airport is also on course to handle around 4.5 million passengers this year, with popular destinations including Alicante, Tenerife and Antalya among its routes. In May, Spanish airport operator AENA took a 51 per cent majority stake in Leeds Bradford Airport as part of a £270m holding company deal.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "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.
"Our hardworking members should not be paid less than those doing the same jobs at other airports. Workers taking action at Leeds Bradford Airport have Unite's full support in their fight for fairer pay." Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said passengers with flights booked during the planned strike would understandably be concerned.
He said: "We know people who have flights planned to and from Leeds Bradford Airport will be concerned to hear of industrial action, however our members have no choice but to strike. The airport is profitable, passenger numbers are growing and our members are a major part of its success. They deserve a fair pay rise, and management must come back to the table to deliver this."