Aer Lingus Strike To Cause Half Term Disruption At Manchester Airport

If you’re flying from Manchester Airport to Walt Disney World, or anywhere in the US this October half term, its time to check your flight details. The 130 cabin crew working for Aer Lingus at Manchester Airport overwhelmingly voted for strike action in a dispute over pay. The four day strike will take place during October half-term. The strike dates are confirmed as the 30th October to 2nd November 2025.

What’s Happening?

Around 130 Aer Lingus cabin crew, all members of the Unite Union, have rejected the airline’s latest pay offer. Aer Lingus offered crew a 9% rise this year and 3% next year. They have also offered cabin crew an increase of $15 (£11.25) in the US overnight allowance, raising it to $130 (£86).

To some, this may sound like a generous offer, however workers say that their base pay is so low that many have struggled to cover housing, bills, and essentials. Unite report that some workers took second jobs or accepted large amounts of overtime to make ends meet. This has lead to stress and burnout for cabin crew.

The voice of the Aer Lingus workers involved in the ballot, which closed on 13th October 2025 was clear. 90% of workers voted for industrial action.

John O’Neil, Unite Regional Officer, said:

Why Are Manchester Flights Affected?

The dispute is involving transatlantic Manchester airport based cabin crew members who are involved with the Unite Union. This means that the only transatlantic flights will be affected by the four day strike at Manchester Airport.

Aer Lingus operates several daily services from Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2, including 2-3 daily Orlando (MCO) flights, and other long haul flights to New York (JFK) and Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI). The MCO Aer Lingus route is used by thousands of UK families travelling to Florida for Disney holidays every week, and disruption will likely have a knock-on effect on holiday plans, especially for anyone with a tightly packed itinerary.

Delays or diversions for return flights to Manchester may also occur impacting those UK families heading home for Walt Disney World for the start of the new term, which is Monday 3rd November 2025 for many. We are expecting that flights may be diverted via Dublin, during this 4 day period.

Profits over people: The Union Response

Aer Lingus reported a €205 million operating profit last year, while its top three executives earned almost €2.8 million in total pay. Union leaders have accused the airline of “putting profits over people” and urged it to return to negotiations.

Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said:

The Union remains open to offers and are urging Aer Lingus to come back to the negotiation table. John went on to say:

Placing the strike ball firmly in Aer Lingus’ court, Aer Lingus have come back with a response of their own.

Disappointment: The Aer Lingus Response

Aer Lingus have responded to the news by offering an official statement. Their spokesperson said:

The rest of the statement from Aer Lingus emphasises their disappointment and confirms that disruption is inevitable at this point. The Spokesperson continued to say:

“Aer Lingus negotiated in good faith with the Unite trade union having regard to benchmarked market pay in the UK. Aer Lingus and Unite reached agreement on two separate comprehensive and market competitive pay deals which Unite then recommended to its members, the latter being based on a recommendation following a detailed conciliation process at Acas.

In this context, it is very disappointing that Unite has served notice of industrial action over the period 30 October through to the end of 2 November which will be very disruptive to our customers flying between Manchester and each of New York, Orlando and Barbados.

Aer Lingus will now focus on communicating directly with impacted customers with a view to reaccommodating them where possible and minimising the disruption caused to them.”

What Rights Do UK Holidaymakers Have?

UK holidaymakers are caught in the crossfires of this strike action, and it is sadly going to impact once in a life-time holidays to Walt Disney World. Half-term trips are already stressful, and often more expensive for families without strike complications, but here is what you need to know.

In the next few days it is likely that Aer Lingus will be in touch if you have a flight booked during the strike period. If your told your flight is cancelled, and you are informed more than 14 days before you are due to fly, you are not entitled to compensation. You are however entitled to be re-routed on a comparable flight or given a full refund.

When it comes to heading Manchester Airport for travel day during the 4 day strike period, you may understandably be feeling a bit apprehensive. If the worst happens and your flight is delayed by more than 4 hours, under air passenger’s rights rules in the UK, you will be entitled to compensation. The amount varies, but if you arrive in Florida with a delay of 4 hours or more you will be entitled to compensation of around £260 or more. Aer Lingus will want to avoid paying compensation, so will be working to keep delays to a minimum.

If you would like further information on your passenger rights, you can visit the UK government Air Passenger travel guide which details your rights.

What Should UK Holiday Makers Do?

If you are flying to or from Manchester to Orlando as part of your Disney World holiday from the UK during the affected 4 day strike period try not to worry. There are signs on social media groups that Aer Lingus has promptly begun notifying passengers of changes and potential disruption to their flights.

Here are some helpful tips for those UK visitors flying out in the next few weeks, concerned about the impact of the impending strike action:

• Check your booking regularly, keep an eye on the website and use the Aer Lingus app on travel day: Monitor your email for updates and check the Aer Lingus app for any updates on your travel day. The app was updated in August 2025 to include a Live Flight Status that is designed to keep you informed in real-time.

• Prepare yourself for changes and try to move any Disney dining bookings you may have for travel day now

• Allow extra travel time on your travel day

What To Expect Next

Unite are reporting that Aer Lingus are employing '“union busting tactics” and that plans are being made to fly passengers to Dublin, and then on to Florida using the pool of Irish staff not striking. This would make sense, as only transatlantic cabin crew are involved in Industrial action which means that Aer Lingus flights to Dublin and Belfast from Manchester Terminal 2 will not be impacted on these dates. Flying customers to Dublin first and then on to Manchester will undoubtedly cause passengers disruption, but may be the least disruptive option.

We will keep you updated, as always, with this story as it develops further.

For families jetting of to Walt Disney World Florida to enjoy the Halloween festivities this October half term, the timing could not be more stressful. However, staying informed and positive can make all the difference. We’ll continue to monitor the situation, so make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter and social media channels.