Norwich Airport hit by further disruption as ATC pay dispute grounds KLM Amsterdam flights
Why It MattersRecurring ATC staffing disputes at regional UK airports risk repeated schedule disruption for connecting international carriers until pay negotiations are resolved.
Norwich Airport faced renewed flight cancellations and extended airfield closures on Thursday 3 September as an industrial dispute between air traffic control staff and airport management over pay and working conditions continued. Published notices showed the airfield closed to traffic between 0600 and 1400, again from 1600 to 1645, and then from 1845 to 1930, leaving only narrow windows for flight operations. Airlines were advised of the restrictions and passengers were urged to check with carriers before travelling.
KLM cancelled at least two flights linking Norwich to Amsterdam Schiphol on Thursday, citing operational reasons connected to the reduced opening hours, while a third KLM service operated with a delayed afternoon departure. A Tui Airways departure to Rhodes also faced delay, while services including Tui to Mahon and Loganair to Aberdeen were scheduled within the constrained windows.
The dispute centres on pay, working conditions and staffing levels. The Prospect union, representing controllers at Norwich, said members voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in mid-August after rejecting a pay offer it called unsatisfactory, citing chronic staff shortages and pay lagging comparable regional airports. Norwich Airport described its offer as substantial and responsible, comprising a 3.5% rise in April 2026, a further 3% consolidated rise from July 2026, and an additional 3% from April 2027, a cumulative increase of approximately 6.1%, which it said would leave most roles paid at or above the average for similar regional airports. Prospect members have nonetheless rejected the offer and continued action, including full strike periods and strict observance of contracted hours with withdrawal of overtime and informal shift-swapping.
The disruption follows a full 24-hour closure of the airport on the Friday at the start of the August bank holiday weekend after air traffic control staff staged a strike, with several earlier August closures also resulting from insufficient ATC cover. Discussions between management and union representatives are continuing, but no agreement or revised timetable for a return to normal operations has been announced.
