With six days to go, there is still no settlement at Leeds Bradford Airport, and travellers booked over the weekend of 16 to 18 October face a week of watching and waiting.
Around 130 Unite members are due to walk out in two waves. Hourly paid staff, including security, customer experience workers and cleaners, are set to strike from 03:00 on Friday 16 October to 06:00 on Sunday 18 October. Air traffic controllers join from 06:00 on Friday, with the same Sunday morning return time. As of this morning, neither side has announced a deal.
Where the two sides stand
Unite says the airport will effectively have to shut. Without air traffic control, no aircraft can safely depart or arrive, and without security and terminal staff, passengers cannot be processed. The union says some departments now trail equivalent roles at other UK airports, with staff having recently exited a four year pay deal, and that the airport’s formal offer does not close the gap.
The airport’s position is directly contradictory. It says it has made a fair and responsible offer that is well above inflation, and that at this stage it anticipates near normal operations during the strike period. It says it remains committed to constructive dialogue with Unite.
Both positions cannot be fully true at once. Do not assume a full shutdown from the union’s wording, and do not assume a quiet Saturday from the airport’s wording. The only proof that matters for your journey is your own airline’s status for your flight number.
What to do this week
This is your checklist for the seven days before the walkout.
- Check your airline app every day, not just once. Jet2, Ryanair and Wizz Air all operate from Leeds Bradford, and any schedule changes will appear in your booking first.
- Make sure your contact details are correct on every reservation so cancellation notices reach you.
- Plan a backup now, while you are calm. Manchester and Newcastle are the nearest large alternatives, but both involve significant surface travel, so check train and coach options and prices in advance.
- Keep Friday morning flexible if you can. The 03:00 start means the first wave of disruption will hit early Friday departures hardest.
- If you are travelling on a package holiday, check your tour operator’s terms as well as the airline’s. Package travellers have extra protection.
Your UK261 rights
If your flight is cancelled, UK rules give you a choice of a refund or rebooking to your destination, plus meals, accommodation and transport if you are stranded while waiting. These rights stand regardless of who caused the cancellation.
Cash compensation is the murkier part. Strikes by the airline’s own staff generally keep compensation on the table, but strikes by airport staff complicate the picture and airlines may argue the disruption was outside their control. The advice is consistent: never cancel your own booking to buy a replacement before the airline has cancelled the original, or you may weaken your claim.
Keep every receipt for extra costs, screenshot cancellation notices, and file claims in writing.
Could it still be called off?
Talks remain open and the airport has said it would welcome continued discussions, so a last minute deal is not impossible. But with pay talks running since December 2025 and the rhetoric hardening, planning for disruption is the safer bet. Check the airline app on Friday morning before setting out, and give yourself more time than usual at the airport.
