Gridlock fears at Heathrow over UK strike

LONDON - The Associated Press

AP photo

The owner of London's Heathrow Airport says a nationwide public-sector strike next week threatens to paralyze operations at Europe's busiest airport.

BAA says there are likely to be 12 hour delays for arriving passengers because the Nov. 30 strike will hit the U.K. border agency's ability to support normal operations.

The airport operator warns of "gridlock" at the airport because delays at immigration are likely to be so long that passengers will need to be held on planes, which would take up aircraft parking slots and lead to "mass cancelations of departing aircraft and diversions outside the U.K."

In a letter written to the airline community and shown to the Associated Press, BAA urged carriers to reduce load factors on arrivals on Nov. 30