LAST-ditch pay talks will take place next week in a bid to stave off an airport strike that threatens to delay more than 100,000 holiday makers.

About 190 out of 280 workers at Newcastle International Airport are planning strike action, starting with a 48-hour walkout next Thursday.

But conciliation service Acas has persuaded both sides to come back to the negotiating table next Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Newcastle International said: "We are hopeful this can be resolved.

"Neither side really wants this to go to a strike, so this is step in the right direction."

Unison and the TGWU are locked in a pay dispute with airport bosses. The company has offered a 3.3 per cent rise to workers in areas such as security and air traffic control.

Staff represented by Amicus have already accepted the deal. But the other unions want a 4.3 per cent rise for members, claiming some have had no wage increase since 2002.

They have also scheduled strikes on July 11 and 16, plus a 48-hour walkout on July 21.

Graham Eastwood, TGWU regional organiser, said: "We welcome the opportunity for further discussions and hope a resolution to the dispute can be found, thereby avoiding the strike action which is likely to cause disruption to passengers' holiday arrangements."

July is the airport's busiest month, when it deals with 20,000 passengers a day.

As part of contingency plans, executives at the airport are undergoing anti-terrorism training, so they can double up as security guards.

A spokeswoman said: "We are confident that the airport will be operational if the strikes go ahead, but it may be that flights are subject to delays."