Norwich Airport faces further disruption amid ongoing ATC staff dispute

Norwich Airport has been forced to shut for much of today (Thursday) as part of ongoing industrial action by air traffic controllers.

KLM cancelled two flights which connect to its Amsterdam Schiphol hub for “operational reasons”, while a third faces a delayed afternoon departure.

A Tui Airways flight to Rhodes also faces a delay while three remaining afternoon. services – Tui to Mahon, Loganair to Aberdeen and KLM to Amsterdam – are due to operate as scheduled.

The airport told passengers un an update on its website: “Due to air traffic control sickness and ongoing industrial action which limits the flexibility to provide additional staff cover, Norwich Airport will be closed to air traffic during the following periods: 0600 to 1400, 1600 to 1645 and 1845 to 1930.”

Carriers were informed of the closures and passengers were advised to check with their airline for the latest information about their flights before travelling to the airport.

“We apologise to passengers for the inconvenience this may cause,” the airport added.

The latest disruption follows the Prospect union voting in favour of industrial action in mid-August in a dispute over pay and conditions.

This forced the airport to close on the Friday of the August bank holiday weekend and the morning of August 21.

The airport made a “substantial and responsible” pay offer to Prospect members of 6.1% and insisted the offer would result in most roles being paid at or above the average for comparable regional airports.

But the union claimed “chronic staff shortages” at the airport as it rejected the pay offer last week.

“These recruitment problems are a direct result of the poor pay and conditions relative to the national norm,” Prospect said.