A strike by hundreds of workers at London Heathrow, starting in the early morning on November 18 and lasting until the early hours of November 21, could have devastating impact 7 000km away in Doha.
The timing coincides with British and European football fans beginning the wind-up to travel to the Qatari capital for the FIFA 2022 World Cup which starts on November 20.
Trade union Unite said 700 workers in ground handling, airside transport and the cargo side of the airport would strike for three days from November 18. This will cause delays at Heathrow terminals 2, 3 and 4. The union said it expected Qatar Airways, which has put on 10 extra flights a week for football fans, to be "hit heavily" by the strike, according to a report by the BBC.
The staff set to strike are employed by Dnata and Menzies, and are calling for higher pay. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said the workers "are simply seeking a decent pay rise". She added: "Both companies are highly profitable and can fully afford to make a fair pay increase."
However, Alex Doisneau, MD of Dnata UK, called the industrial action disappointing and costly and said that the staff had been offered a pay award that was in line with inflation and among the best in the industry, according to the BBC.
Miguel Gomez Sjunnesson, Executive VP Europe at Menzies Aviation, said the firm was willing to continue pay discussions, and urged Unite to take part in the negotiations. But he assured Menzies airline customers and their passengers that the ground handler had “robust contingency plans” in place should the strike go ahead.
Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Virgin and Emirates are also expected to be affected, as are passengers travelling to the US for the Thanksgiving holiday.
A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport was in discussions with its airline partners on contingency plans that may be implemented to support their ground handling should the strike go ahead.
