Flag carrier Qantas has warned passengers of possible travel difficulties because of the baggage handler and ground staff strike scheduled for Friday. The airline estimated about 8,000 passengers would be affected as the job walk-off would lead to the cancellation of two flights and delays by up to one hour of 39 flights.

The industrial action is expected to affect all major Australian airports when the one-hour strike starts at 8 a.m. The 3,800 striking workers are protesting over pay and work conditions.

In anticipation of delays, passengers turned out in volumes at Melbourne airport earlier to beat the strike, a number of them are bound for Sydney to catch the NRL Grand Final.

"This really couldn't have come at a worse time with passengers trying to get to the AFL and NRL Grand Finals and many families heading away for the school holidays," Qantas spokesman Olivia Wirth said in a statement.

Besides the baggage handlers and ground crew, members of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association will also walk off their jobs at 6 p.m. on Friday at Melbourne and take similar action on Monday in Brisbane.

Since the coordinated strikes started a month ago, over 25,000 Qantas passengers have been affected by the labor dispute.

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