Norwich Airport to Close All Flights on 28 August as Air Traffic Control Staff Strike Over Pay
Why It MattersA single-day air traffic control walkout can shut an entire regional airport, showing how thin staffing margins leave scheduled and charter traffic with no fallback capacity.
What happened
Norwich Airport will shut down entirely on Friday 28 August as air traffic control staff represented by the Prospect union stage a 24-hour strike over pay and working conditions. No flights will operate to or from the Norfolk airport that day.
Prospect members are demanding a 10 per cent pay rise in line with market comparators, as well as improved maternity and paternity leave. Union members had already voted in favour of industrial action short of a strike from 17 August before escalating to the full walkout. Airlines operating out of Norwich include KLM, Loganair, Ryanair and Tui. Passengers due to travel on Friday have been advised to check with their airline for available flight options and the latest information.
Norwich Airport said it apologised for the disruption and remained committed to resolving the dispute through constructive dialogue, adding it would continue to engage with Prospect to reach an agreement. Prospect National Secretary David Avery said the airport's refusal to bring pay and parental leave in line with market rates had exhausted staff goodwill. He added that the union did not want to take strike action, particularly during the holiday period, but had been left with no choice, and called on Norwich Airport Limited to return to the table with a fair and deliverable plan.
How it unfolded
Air traffic control staff hold a 24-hour strike, closing Norwich Airport to all flights.
Prospect union members vote in favour of industrial action short of a strike.
Industry impact & what to watch
A single day of air traffic control action is enough to close a regional airport outright, because a small tower workforce leaves no spare cover to keep any movements running. That exposure sits above any one airline's schedule: KLM, Loganair, Ryanair and Tui all lose the same day at Norwich regardless of their own staffing or aircraft availability.
Regional airports typically run air traffic control with a lean staff roster, so a pay dispute there converts quickly into a full operational stop rather than a partial delay, unlike at larger hubs with deeper controller pools. Passengers and any charter traffic booked through Norwich on 28 August have no alternative slot at that field for the day.
Whether the closure stays confined to 28 August depends on whether Norwich Airport and Prospect return to talks before further action is called; David Avery's statement frames the next move as the airport's, asking it to bring a deliverable pay and leave offer back to the table.
