Thousands of Northern Ireland air passengers travelling to the UK could be facing Bank Holiday chaos after baggage handlers and check in staff at Gatwick and Stansted have voted to strike.

Employees at the two airports are set to walk out on August 25 and again on August 29 in a dispute over pay which could spread to Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle airports.

The strike will halt all baggage handling and check-in operations across airlines including; Virgin Atlantic, Monarch, Thomson Fly, First Choice, North West, Air Malta, Air Transat, Oman Air as well as some smaller airlines.

However workers involved in the dispute handle baggage and check-in arrangements for Ryanair and easyJet at Stansted.

Up to 20 daily easyjet flights from Belfast International could be affected.

And according to Unite the dispute is likely to spread to other UK airports “in the coming days and weeks”.

A spokeswoman for Belfast International Airport has advised passengers set to travel on those days to contact their airline for guidance.

“We will be monitoring the situation closely and we will be talking with the airlines closer to the strike dates,” she said.

“However we would advise all passengers who have booked to fly on those days into Gatwick or Stanstead or from those two airports to Belfast to contact their airline for advice.”

While a spokesman for George Best Belfast City Airport also said they will “be monitoring the situation closely”.

Workers employed by Swissport have rejected a "paltry" 3% pay offer which unions complained was well below the rate of inflation.

The company was also accused of removing sick pay for the first three days of any absence due to illness, including industrial injury.

Members of Unite at Gatwick and Stansted will take part in the strike, while GMB members at Stansted will also walk out on the same days.

Unite will announce a ballot result among its Swissport members at Manchester airport next week and said workers in Birmingham and Newcastle airports will also be balloted for strike action over pay.

A spokesman for Swissport said: “Swissport believes that a fair offer has been made to the unions in the light of the current economic climate that reflects the cost of living increase.

“Swissport is working with the airport operator and the customer airlines to minimise disruption to the travelling public.”

Unite National Officer, Steve Turner said: “Our members are already struggling to keep up with rising food and energy costs. This pay offer is an insult to professional, hard working men and women who have to operate in extremely difficult conditions.

“This result is just the first to be declared with positive ballot results expected over the next few days at Stansted and Manchester airports.

“Swissport workers will also shortly be balloted at Birmingham and Newcastle airports which could see an escalation of industrial action across the UK’s airports.

“Our members have had enough, the liberalisation of ground handling services across UK airports has resulted in a ‘race to the bottom’ which must and will stop. We will not stand back and allow labour costs to determine whether contracts are won or lost.

GMB officer Gary Pearce said: “GMB members can not afford these low pay rises given the rising prices they have to pay for food, energy and transport.

“The employers, the airlines and the airport operator need to adjust their view as to what our members will now accept. The only way they have of meeting higher prices passed on to them is to raise their own prices in higher pay rises.”