Over the next week, the United Kingdom is going through a planned national rail strike on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The strike will affect millions of passengers that rely on trains like the Gatwick Express or Heathrow Express to travel between London’s major airports. However, Gatwick Airport (LGW) will be the most affected as the Gatwick Express will be limited in service on all strike days.

Holiday carrier TUI has issued a warning to all passengers, asking them to be prepared for massive disruptions and arrange alternate ways to travel to and from Gatwick Airport.

The airline said in a statement,

“We have been advised that due to the national train strike next week (21, 23, 25 June), services at Gatwick Airport will be significantly affected. Only a limited number of trains will run from Gatwick Airport to London and towards Brighton between 7am and 7pm on these days, with no service running outside of these hours. Gatwick Airport recommends customers use alternative travel to and from the airport on these dates and allow extra time for your journey.”

London airports are trying to cope

London’s Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are busy preparing for the chaos next week by advising passengers in advance to arrange alternate means of transport. A limited Gatwick Express service will run on strike days (June 21st, 23rd, and 25th) between 7 AM and 7 PM. Services on non-strike days are also likely to be affected.

Simple Flying has written to the management of both airports seeking more information on the best ways for passengers to travel.

A Heathrow spokesperson said:

“We are aware there will be disruption to rail services next week for Heathrow as a result of planned industrial action. We advise passengers to plan their journeys in advance using a recognised journey planner and allow longer for their trips to and from Heathrow.”

In addition, Heathrow Airport has taken several measures to mitigate the strike’s impact on passengers. The airport has taken the following steps:

• Asked local bus and coach operators to strengthen services wherever possible
• Reached out to the taxi trade to try and encourage them to focus on Heathrow
• Deployment of additional forecourt and car parking marshals
• Additional police presence to ensure smooth flow of traffic
• More drop-off spaces on the forecourts

This article will be updated when we receive a response from Gatwick Airport.

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What can passengers do?

For the entirety of next week, chaos at busy London airports is pretty much guaranteed. The most important thing passengers looking to depart from Gatwick or Heathrow Airport can do is plan ahead and leave the house at least a couple of hours early. The best form of alternate transportation can be anyone’s guess, but available options include driving over in your personal vehicle, taking a taxi, or a bus.

For those deciding on going with the first option, it is advisable to book airport parking in advance here. LGW is expected to increase parking capacity during the strike period, but it is better to be safe. Similarly, passengers arriving or departing Gatwick can also book a taxi in advance through the airport’s website.