Border Force will strike on 23 December and Heathrow Airport have said on Monday that they are doing “everything we can” to make sure no flights are cancelled.
With Border Force on strike this could delay checking in with passports leading to long queues disrupting departures.
Heathrow Airport are insisting that “the vast majority of travellers will be unaffected.”
It said in a statement they said, “We are doing everything we can to protect a full flight schedule on strike days, so departing passengers should expect to travel as normal.
“Arriving passengers with UK, EU, US, Canadian and some other passports will be able to use e-gates as usual and their journeys should be largely unaffected on strike days.
“Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible.
“We are continuing to support them to strengthen these plans so that as few people are impacted as possible.
“If passengers who cannot use e-gates are concerned about travelling during the strikes, their airline may be able to offer them alternative travel dates.”
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said, “We are ready to welcome millions of passengers heading off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
“We have extra people in the terminals on the busiest days, including me and my management team, to ensure we get people on their way as smoothly as possible and start to bring the joy back into travel.
“We are doing everything we can to protect full operating schedules on Border Force strike days and departing journeys, and the vast majority of arriving journeys should be unaffected.”
