Leeds Bradford Airport faces major disruption from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026, as around 130 Unite union members walk out in a long-running pay dispute. The strike covers air traffic control, security, customer experience and cleaning staff, and the union warns it could effectively shut the airport for the weekend.
When is the strike happening
Hourly-paid staff will walk out from 3am on Friday 16 October until 6am on Sunday 18 October. Air traffic controllers join from 6am on Friday, also returning at 6am on Sunday. Because no flight can take off or land without certified controllers on duty, Unite says the airport will be unable to operate during those hours.
Why are workers striking
Pay talks have been running since December 2025, when a four-year pay deal came to an end. Unite says pay at Leeds Bradford has fallen behind comparable airports such as Newcastle, despite the airport handling a record 4.45 million passengers in its last financial year and posting turnover of 61.5 million pounds. The union argues its members should not earn less than people doing the same jobs elsewhere.
The airport says it has offered a pay package significantly above inflation and insists it still expects near-normal operations during the strike, with talks remaining open.
Which flights are affected
Leeds Bradford is a major base for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, which count it as a hometown airport, alongside Ryanair and Wizz Air services. If you are booked on any flight departing from or arriving into Leeds Bradford between the morning of 16 October and the morning of 18 October, treat your journey as at risk.
No airline has published a cancellation programme yet, so the only reliable source of information is your airline’s own app and booking emails. Do not rely on a single airport-wide list.
What to do if you are booked to fly
- Check your airline app and emails regularly from the week before, and make sure your contact details are up to date so you receive rebooking notifications
- If your flight is cancelled, the airline must offer you a choice of a full refund or rerouting to your destination at the earliest opportunity
- Airlines must also provide care and assistance, including meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation where an overnight stay becomes necessary
- Cash compensation under UK261 is unlikely for strike disruption, but your rights to rerouting, refunds and duty of care still apply
- Keep receipts for any reasonable extra spending, such as food or transport, as you can claim these back from the airline
- Consider whether you can travel on Thursday 15 or Sunday 18 October after 6am instead, when operations should be returning to normal
The bigger picture
The Leeds Bradford walkout lands on what is already one of the most disrupted days in European aviation this month. Friday 16 October also sees a 24-hour easyJet cabin crew strike in Italy, a four-hour air traffic control stoppage across Italian airspace, and walkouts by security staff at Venice and airport workers in Pisa and Florence. If you are flying anywhere in Europe that day, allow extra time and keep a close eye on your booking.
