Air travelers heading to London next week have been warned they should change their plans or prepare for long delays due to a strike by Britain's immigration officials.
Heathrow Airport bosses said that arriving passengers, including those from the United States, could be held on planes for a staggering 12 hours in the chaos following the November 30 strike.
The planned action, part of a nationwide protest by public sector workers over proposed changes to pensions, could lead to 'very long delays' and 'mass cancellations of departing aircraft'.
Operating chiefs at the airport - Europe's busiest - said: ‘There are likely to be very long delays of up to 12 hours to arriving passengers.
'The delays at immigration are likely to be so long that passengers could not be safely accommodated within the terminals and would need to be held on arriving aircraft.
‘This in turn would quickly create gridlock at the airport with no available aircraft parking stands, mass cancellations or departing aircraft and diversions outside the UK for arriving aircraft.’
The warning came in a letter from the airport's chief operating officer Normand Boivin to all airlines which fly to Heathrow.
He added the airport 'may also be obliged to advise arriving passengers... that they should avoid arriving into the UK on November 30 unless absolutely necessary'.
The British Government has already pledged civil servants and other inexperienced workers to man the country's ports and airports when immigration staff walk out.
But it is predicted that the strike will still affect international passengers arriving into all UK airports.
Disruption at Heathrow is expected to be particularly severe because almost 100 long-haul services plan to arrive before 9 a.m. local time on the day of the strike.
Heathrow Airport handles 180,000 passengers on a typical day, according to BAA. Its most popular destination is New York's JFK Airport.
Gatwick Airport also warned passengers to be prepared for 'significant disruption' at immigration and said it had asked carriers to give passengers the chance to change their flights.
Airlines have also expressed their concern over the predicted chaos following next week's strikes.
British Airways, which flies from more than 200 airports in the United States, warned there could be 'a significant risk of severe delays in passing through passport control'.
A spokesperson added: 'We are concerned that the strike on November 30 creates considerable uncertainty for our customers booked to fly into UK airports on that day.
'We are doing everything that we can to protect our customers and continue to liaise closely with Government, the UK Border Agency and airport authorities about possible contingencies.'
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman said: 'We are very concerned about the effect next week's strike will have on passengers and airport operators. Britain cannot afford to be closed for business.
'To reduce the number of passengers coming into UK airports and to minimise disruption to our passengers, we will allow those booked on inbound travel on November 30 to rebook for travel up to four days earlier or later without charge.
'Along with airport operators, other airlines and the wider aviation industry, we are continuing discussions with the Government and the UK Border Agency about possible contingencies.'
On the Heathrow disruption, the UK Border Agency said: ‘The security of the UK border remains our top priority and it is absolutely right we explore all options to ensure we minimize any disruption caused by planned union action.’
BAA, the owner of Heathrow airport, has told airlines to fly planes half full to help ease the chaos expected when immigration officers walk out.
Twenty-nine unions are taking part in Wednesday’s walkout, including teachers, nurses, paramedics, top civil servants and tax inspectors. Up to two million workers are expected to walk out over proposed changes to pensions.
It is set to be the biggest since the General Strike of 1926 - and union barons said it was fantasy to think it would be a one-off.
Paul Kenny, general secretary of trade union the GMB said the strikes would continue into 2012 in the bitter dispute over pensions.
‘It is Alice in Wonderland stuff to think that 30 November will happen, people will stop work, take part in rallies, go home and say: “That was all right. Now we can give in”. It is just nonsense.’
It is feared that more than £500million in output will be lost and jobs could be axed at a time when unemployment is at a 17-year high of 2.6million.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: 'Clearly we're going to do everything we can - notwithstanding the terrible disruption and, frankly, cost to the economy these strikes will create - to make sure that systems, including our borders are properly policed and properly controlled.
'But my message to the trade union bosses who are corralling their members into conflict is: let the teachers and the nurses and the doctors, and so on, let everybody take a bit of time to look at the information that we've provided on our Government website so people can look for themselves at what we're offering.
'Actually what we're offering is reasonable and generous. We're saying all your pension entitlements you've got until now will be protected; if you're going to retire within 10 years there will be no change; if you're on a low or middle income your pension will be the same, if not better than it was before.
'I think the trade union bosses are really doing a disservice - obviously to the public - but also to their own members by not allowing their members to make up their own minds based on the information that we're providing in our reasonable offer from the Government.'
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BRITISH STRIKES: Q&A
Q: Who is striking?
A: Twenty-nine unions are taking part in the walkout, including teachers, nurses, paramedics, top civil servants and tax inspectors.
Q: How many workers is that?
A: One of the country's trade unions, the GMB, predicts up to two million workers could walk out.
Q: What will be affected?
A: Most schools will be closed, bins will not be collected, hospital operations will be cancelled and the elderly may go unfed in hospitals.
Q: What is the financial bill?
A: It is feared that more than £500million in output will be lost.
Q: Why are they striking?
A: The British government wants public workers to pay more into their pensions, get a lower payout and retire at a later age.
Q: What does the government say?
A: Ministers say it is wrong to strike over pensions that were much more generous than those in the private sector. The public sector pensions bill is around £32billion a year, with workers contributing £5.5billion a year and the rest paid by the taxpayer.
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