Flights grounded as strike shuts Sumburgh
SUMBURGH Airport is closed today (Tuesday) in the latest round of strike action – with its doors set to remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday too.
The Sumburgh, Barra, Benbecula, Stornoway and Tiree airports will all be shut over the next few days as Unite members working for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) take a stand over pay.
It comes after two days of strikes by HIAL Unite members in December which closed Sumburgh Airport among others.
Unite said that its members working for HIAL – which is owned by the Scottish Government – deserve a better pay increase amid the cost of living crisis.
The workforce has already rejected a five per cent offer.
Speaking prior to the strike, HIAL managing director Inglis Lyon said the airport operator remained in dialogue with government agency Transport Scotland and trade unions in an attempt to resolve the matter.
Last week the Prospect union also said its firefighters and security staff working within HIAL had voted for industrial action.
While there are no scheduled passenger services over the next few days, emergency air ambulance flights will be able to travel via Sumburgh.
With no flights to and from Shetland for three days, the NorthLink Ferries website is showing no cabins available on each of the southbound sailings during the strike period.
Elsewhere in the HIAL network Dundee Airport closed on Friday and Monday (17 and 20 February).
Kirkwall is opening between 7.15am and 1pm on the three strike days this week for inter-island flights only.
Campbeltown, Inverness, Islay and Wick will all be open as usual.
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