?Public sector unions have voted in favour of industrial action on the November 30, 2011.
p>?Public sector unions have voted in favour of industrial action on the November 30, 2011.?
The industrial action will involve the UK Border Agency who look after passport control and Immigration at all airports. The strike is therefore likely to affect arriving flights at airports across the UK.
Scott Stanley, Gatwick Airport?s chief operating officer said: ?Gatwick continues to work closely with the UK Border Agency and its airlines to ensure robust contingency measures are put in place to ensure disruption to passengers and airport operations is kept to a minimum.
?We have had face to face meetings with our major airline carriers to discuss contingency plans for the day and have called on them to offer their arriving passengers the opportunity, where possible, to rebook their flights either in the days immediately before or after the 30th November. We would advise passengers to check with their airline to find out what plans and arrangements have been put in place.
?We recognise that this will be a challenging time for all airport passengers, and we would warn passengers to be prepared for the potential for significant disruption at the border zones on the November 30.
?Unfortunately, airport staff can not man the desks at the Border Zone but we will provide all necessary assistance to the Border Agency and we are determined to make sure that the needs and welfare of all our passengers will be met on the day.
?Hundreds of airport volunteers are planning to come in to provide the support and assistance needed on the day. All non essential work and meetings have been cancelled and all staff and managers will be out in the terminals providing information, refreshments and advice and to make passengers feel as comfortable as is practicable given the challenges we expect to face.
?We will keep our passengers informed of developments through a number of channels including the media, our website and Twitter.
Gatwick Airport?s advice for passengers
Please check with your airline to find out what plans and arrangements they have in place for 30th November during the planned strike action
Passengers arriving into Gatwick on 30th November can assist the airport and the UK Border Agency by:
? having travel documents, including passports, available and taken out of any wallets
? using automatic e-Passport gates (where available)
? having landing cards fully completed and ready
? staying in family groups
People collecting arriving passengers on the 30th November can assist Gatwick Airport and the Border Agency by:
? Checking the flight arrivals time for people you are picking up, before you leave home.
