Dubai: The three big Gulf carriers — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways - have issued travel warnings to UK-bound passengers scheduled to fly on Wednesday after the UK Border Agency declared a strike on the day.
The 24-hour strike by the agency staff across the UK will be from 00:01am until midnight (UK local time) on Wednesday, according to an alert on Etihad Airways' website. It added the strike will most likely "affect operations at all UK border crossings and has the potential to cause disruption at all UK airports".
Emirates' statement on its website said all its flights to and from the UK on that day "may be disrupted or forced to be cancelled". It advised passengers to strongly consider alternative travel dates.
"Passengers who have already been booked and ticketed to travel to/from the UK on Novemebr 30, 2011, may have their tickets rebooked/re-issued for travel on 28-29 November or 1-7 December at no additional cost," Emirates said.
Qatar Airways, meanwhile, said passengers arriving on its flights to London Heathrow and Manchester were likely to be affected.
"Due to industrial strike action by UK Border Agency staff on Wednesday, 30th November 2011, passengers on all airlines arriving into UK airports should expect long queues and delays during the passport and immigration process," the Doha-based carrier said on its website, offering rebooking options for passengers with confirmed reservations.
Etihad Airways said it's possible passengers "may experience long delays in waiting to clear immigration at both airports on this day".
