Nearly 700 airport workers in Scotland have formally backed strike action that is set to coincide with the peak summer holiday season, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the FIFA World Cup.
Unite the union confirmed on Thursday that strike dates would be announced in the coming days, warning that industrial action is expected to take place during both major events. The ballots involved approximately 370 workers employed directly by Edinburgh Airport Limited (EAL) at Edinburgh Airport, and around 320 workers employed by ICTS and Menzies Aviation at Glasgow Airport.
Union accuses employers of prioritising profits
Unite said the dispute is rooted in the refusal of “very profitable employers” to make a fair pay offer. General Secretary Sharon Graham stated: “Workers across Scotland’s largest airports have overwhelmingly backed summer strike action. This is a direct result of their very profitable employers’ refusal to make a fair pay offer. The workers have no other option and the blame for this situation lies entirely with wealthy companies choosing to boost profits before people.”
Industrial officer Carrie Donoghue has also been involved in the campaign. The union highlighted the roles of the workers involved. Those employed by ICTS deal directly with passengers in security search areas and process them for flights. Approximately 170 ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport are affected, while a separate ballot for around 70 ICTS members at Aberdeen Airport over a separate pay dispute is due to close on 28 May. Menzies Aviation ground services crew at Glasgow – around 150 dispatchers, allocators, airside agents and controllers – are also set for industrial action. At Edinburgh Airport, the EAL workers include airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers.
Unite warned that the strikes will “severely disrupt planes and passengers” during an already extremely busy period. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are scheduled from 23 July to 2 August 2026, and the World Cup is expected to draw fans travelling from Scotland to the United States, Canada and Mexico for matches later in the year.
Financial backdrop and previous disputes
The union’s position is set against the financial performance of the employers. Edinburgh Airport Limited reported profits of £144.4 million for the year ending 2024, up from £88.2 million the previous year. Menzies Aviation announced record global revenue of $3 billion for 2025. ICTS (UK) Limited recorded profits of £7.6 million in 2025, compared with £4.4 million a year earlier.
This is not the first time pay has been a flashpoint. In May 2025, around 600 Menzies Aviation workers at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports rejected pay offers – 97% of 300 workers in Glasgow turned down a 4.25% uplift, while 100% of 300 workers in Edinburgh rejected a 4% offer. A subsequent deal in July 2025 saw 300 Menzies workers at Edinburgh accept a pay increase averaging 6.5% (up to 10% for some), and a similar settlement was reached for 300 workers at Glasgow. In July 2024, around 300 ICTS central search members at Aberdeen and Glasgow airports accepted an improved offer including a 5% basic pay rise, a £500 one-off payment and an enhanced shift allowance, worth up to 12.8% for some. Other disputes have also hit the sector: over 100 OCS Group workers at Edinburgh Airport, who assist passengers with reduced mobility, planned strikes in September 2025 over what they called an “insulting poverty pay offer” of £12.60 per hour. Drivers for Turners (Soham) Limited at both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports resumed strike action in December 2025 over a 1% pay rise described by Unite as a real-terms cut.
Company responses
A spokesperson for Menzies Aviation expressed disappointment that the union had “progressed industrial action in an attempt to disrupt flights at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports this summer”. The company said it had engaged “constructively” throughout and put forward a “fair and workable offer for all parties that recognises the challenging operating environment caused by the Middle East conflict”. Menzies added that pay at both locations had “consistently increased above inflation since the Covid pandemic” and that its current proposal again exceeds inflation, aligning with agreements the union has reached with other ground handlers at Edinburgh and Glasgow. “Should industrial action take place, we have robust and proven contingency plans to minimise any potential disruption to our airline customers and their passengers, ensuring flights can operate as scheduled,” the spokesperson said.
Edinburgh Airport confirmed it had held “constructive talks on pay” with Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) and its unions, including Unite, and that further talks were planned for early next week. In a previous statement from May 2026, the airport said pay for workers had outpaced inflation, increasing by 24.6% since 2023.
A spokesperson for AGS Airports, which owns Glasgow Airport, said: “We are aware of the regrettable developments involving Unite, Menzies and ICTS including threats to disrupt passengers’ holiday plans. Both Menzies and ICTS continue to engage in discussions with the trade union as they work to find a resolution on the pay awards.”
Broader context and potential impact
The threat of disruption comes amid wider concerns about summer travel chaos in 2026, though as of mid-May 2026 less than 1% of planned flights had been disrupted and the government has said it is working with industry to minimise issues. Rising fares have also been flagged. The World Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Glasgow in March 2024 as a qualification event for the Paris Olympics, but that event did not involve the same workforce groups.
Previous industrial action at smaller Scottish airports – Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick – took place in December 2022 but did not affect Edinburgh or Glasgow. The current dispute, however, centres on Scotland’s two busiest hubs and has the potential to cause significant disruption during the Commonwealth Games, which will feature around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations competing in 10 sports.
