AFS refuellers plan Heathrow strikes for May
Members of the Unite union who work for aviation fuel firm AFS are set to walk out for 72 hours on 4 May
Strikers are in a dispute with the fuel supplier over the terms and conditions for new staff who, upon joining AFS, have been offered reduced pension and sickness benefits.
According to Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham: “AFS is behaving appallingly by attacking the T&Cs of new members of staff – those it views as the easiest to intimidate.”
AFS supplies fuel to 35 airlines at London’s Heathrow Airport, including Virgin Atlantic, Air France, SAS, Loganair, Delta, KLM, and Singapore Airlines.
The Unite union has warned that the strike would cause “severe disruption” to flights.
AFS is a joint venture between several fuel companies including Air bp, Total, Q8Aviation, and Valero.
In a statement, Heathrow said it was working with AFS to “support their robust contingency plans for the airlines they provide fuel to.
“AFS are one of a number of suppliers at the airport and the majority of flights are supported by other providers. Passengers can continue to travel with confidence at Heathrow,” added the airport.
Travel tech firm AirHelp has revealed that over 10 million passengers across the UK faced flight disruption between November 2023 and February 2024.
Chloe Fox
Chloe Fox is an Editorial Assistant for Voyageur Group, joining in 2024. She writes for ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. Chloe holds a BA (Hons) in English and an MA in English Literature from the University of Bristol.