Unite the Union has notified Heathrow Airport that more than 1,400 security officers in Terminal 5 and cargo screening will strike from 31 Mar to 9 Apr 2026 after rejecting a 10 % pay offer. Although Easter is five months away, the early notice gives airlines and travel managers time to adjust rosters, but it also adds to uncertainty at the U.K.’s busiest hub already grappling with Christmas immigration walk-outs.
Terminal 5 handles nearly all British Airways long-haul departures, including high-yield corporate routes to New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Cargo operators warn that delays in screening could disrupt just-in-time supply chains in pharmaceuticals and aerospace. Heathrow says it has contingency staff and expects the airport to remain “open and operational”, but it has not detailed queue-management plans.
Global-mobility teams with assignees relocating at fiscal year-end should factor potential delays into school-holiday travel and shipment schedules. Employers may also wish to encourage staff to travel hand-luggage-only to avoid baggage-screen backlogs.
The dispute reflects broader wage pressures as inflation remains above 4 %. Analysts fear successive strike waves could undermine Britain’s reputation for predictability among multinational HQs evaluating post-Brexit location strategies.
Terminal 5 handles nearly all British Airways long-haul departures, including high-yield corporate routes to New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Cargo operators warn that delays in screening could disrupt just-in-time supply chains in pharmaceuticals and aerospace. Heathrow says it has contingency staff and expects the airport to remain “open and operational”, but it has not detailed queue-management plans.
Global-mobility teams with assignees relocating at fiscal year-end should factor potential delays into school-holiday travel and shipment schedules. Employers may also wish to encourage staff to travel hand-luggage-only to avoid baggage-screen backlogs.
The dispute reflects broader wage pressures as inflation remains above 4 %. Analysts fear successive strike waves could undermine Britain’s reputation for predictability among multinational HQs evaluating post-Brexit location strategies.
