Perth Airport strike: dnata walkout to disrupt departures

Published on Aug 20, 2025, 8:10 pm CDT

5 min read

Ground workers employed by dnata at Perth Airport (PER) will strike from 530 p.m. on August 21 to 1000 a.m. on August 22, AWST, which is 430 a.m. to 900 p.m. on August 21 in Chicago. The protected action targets passenger services, ramp, and cargo, and is expected to affect selected long-haul departures and freight operations. Union and local reports cite likely impacts for airlines serving Singapore, the UAE, New Zealand, Vietnam, and South Africa, along with carriers such as Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, and Cathay Pacific. Travelers with Asia-bound itineraries or West Coast connections should build extra buffer time.

Key Points

Why it matters: Industrial action could delay outbound international flights and separate travelers from checked bags.
Travel impact: Window spans August 21, 530 p.m. to August 22, 1000 a.m. AWST, overlapping U.S. Thursday.
What's next: Airlines may trim loads, swap handlers, or adjust schedules if disruption escalates.
Check in earlier than usual, travel carry-on if possible, and monitor airline alerts closely.
Allow longer minimum connection times on PER-transit itineraries.

Snapshot

The dnata walkout at Perth focuses on passenger services, ramp, and cargo during a 16.5-hour window that straddles the U.S. Thursday news cycle. Expect slower check-in and boarding on affected carriers, potential delays in baggage loading, and late-arriving bags on tight connections. If you are connecting through Perth on an Asia-Pacific itinerary, move to carry-on only, add 60 to 90 minutes to your normal airport buffer, and keep a same-day rebooking plan ready. Airlines may pre-emptively retime or consolidate flights to preserve long-haul blocks. For strike-day tactics and packing guidance, see our recent airport-strike tips in Portugal Airport Strike Triggers Summer Baggage Delays and the late-August update in Gatwick baggage screeners strike, August update.

Background

The Transport Workers Union says dnata's Perth workforce is the lowest paid in the company's Australian network and rejected a multi-year pay offer. Ballots reportedly delivered a strong mandate for protected action. dnata says it has tabled a fair, market-aligned proposal and has contingency plans to minimize customer impact. The dispute arrives the same week a federal court penalized Qantas for the illegal outsourcing of 1,820 ground jobs in 2020, a ruling the union argues underscores broader supply-chain pressures across Australian aviation. During earlier disputes, short-term deals averted wider shutdowns, but Perth's timing could still snarl evening bank departures, overnight turns, and Friday morning cargo flows. Travelers should expect knock-on effects to persist after the formal strike window as aircraft, crews, and bags realign.

Latest Developments

Perth Airport strike timing, carriers, and cargo exposure

The protected action is scheduled from 530 p.m. Thursday, August 21, to 1000 a.m. Friday, August 22, AWST. In U.S. Central Time, that is 430 a.m. to 900 p.m. Thursday, August 21. The union expects disruption for selected carriers serving Singapore, the UAE, South Africa, Vietnam, and New Zealand; local reporting has also flagged Emirates, Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines as potentially affected. Cargo handlers are included, so shippers should anticipate delays on perishables and express freight moving across the Indian Ocean routes. Airlines typically mitigate with manual processes, supervisory staff, or alternate handlers, but travelers should not rely on that. If you must check a bag, remove medication, mobility aids, valuables, and a 24-hour kit, then photograph your claim tag and itinerary for faster tracing.

Analysis

For U.S. readers, the strike lands squarely across Thursday daytime hours, making it relevant to last-minute Asia-bound departures that transit Perth or to itineraries sold as West Coast connections onward to Western Australia. Even if your flight is not formally canceled, front-of-house slowdowns can ripple into missed slots, late pushbacks, and long queues at baggage services. dnata's portfolio at Perth spans passenger services, ramp, and cargo, so the pain points are integrated, meaning a single staffing pinch can affect both departure punctuality and bag loading.

Actionable planning beats guesswork. First, convert your minimum connection time to a real-world buffer of at least 2.5 hours for international-to-international at Perth during the window. Second, pivot to carry-on only if feasible, especially for tight onward connections in Singapore or the Middle East. Third, pre-download your airline's app and opt into push alerts; reissues often appear there before gate screens update. Fourth, if you booked through an online agency, confirm who owns ticket control so you know who can revalidate coupons in a disruption. Finally, screen your itinerary for overnight aircraft turns touching the strike window, since a delayed inbound can cascade into a morning delay even after the walkout ends.

With many long-hauls clustered in Perth's evening bank, a targeted, time-boxed stoppage can still create a multi-cycle recovery. Treat August 22 morning returns as "at risk" for residual delays.

Final Thoughts

If you are booked through Perth during the strike window, control the controllables. Build a larger time cushion, keep essentials with you, and monitor your airline channels closely. Freight shippers should pad cutoffs and expect short-term backlog clearance into the weekend. While airlines and the airport will work to blunt the impact, the safest play is to assume slower ground operations until crews and bags catch up. We will continue tracking any escalation, de-escalation, or carrier-specific waivers tied to the Perth Airport strike.