Norwich Airport is to shut down entirely for a day after air traffic controllers confirmed a full-day walkout over an unresolved pay dispute.
The Norfolk airport will be unable to handle any operations on Friday.
Every scheduled flight has been scrapped due to critically low staffing levels.
The Prospect union called the strike as part of a continuing row with the airport over pay, terms and conditions.
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Management’s failure to table an offer to settle the disagreement has escalated tensions.
The airport released a statement on its website regarding the dispute.
It read: “Due to the 24-hour strike by Prospect union members in Air Traffic Control, Norwich Airport will be closed to air traffic on Friday 28 August and no flights will operate to or from the airport that day.
“Airlines have been informed.”
They added: “Passengers due to travel on Friday should check with their airline for the latest information about their flight and the options available to them.
“We apologise for the disruption and inconvenience this will cause to passengers.
“We remain firmly committed to resolving this dispute through constructive dialogue and will continue to engage with Prospect with the aim of reaching agreement.”
Industrial action has already wreaked havoc on services earlier last week.
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The dispute first flared into action last Monday, when the airport was unable to present a resolution.
By Friday, disruption had already spread, with Loganair services to and from Aberdeen among those axed.
Flights to Corfu, Amsterdam, Alicante, Majorca and Dalaman have also been cancelled since the action began.
As part of the industrial measures, controllers are adhering rigidly to their contractual obligations, refusing to cover extra hours or exchange shifts with colleagues, and have pulled back all goodwill gestures.
Norwich typically offers routes to destinations including Faro, Malta, Alicante and Amsterdam, all of which are at risk of disruption.
David Avery, Prospect National Secretary for Aviation, said: “It is extremely disappointing that we have still not received an acceptable offer from Norwich Airport, which has left us with little choice but to push ahead with this industrial action.
“Our members in air traffic control are not making unreasonable demands, they are simply asking for pay levels and terms and conditions that are normal for their colleagues across the country.
“We hope that the employer can quickly return to the bargaining table with an improved offer that will enable this dispute to be resolved without the need for strike action.”
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