Passengers at Manchester Airport are still reporting long waits at check-in and security - in line with last month’s prediction by boss Charlie Cornish that there would be ‘60-90-minute’ queues for some time as they scramble to solve a staffing crisis.
Many passengers took to social media to vent, claiming queues for check-in with airlines and then security came to a combined four hours in some cases. However, Manchester Airport have said queues in T1 were in fact no longer than 90 minutes on Tuesday morning - with additional delays at check-in the responsibilty of airlines and their handling agents.
Images of crowded terminals and lines snaking on to the tarmac outside are now sadly a familiar feature of peak-time journeys through Manchester Airport. Ongoing complaints follow an open letter of apology penned last month by Charlie Cornish, chief executive of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which runs Manchester as well as Stansted and East Midlands.
READ MORE: Manchester Airport passengers forced to queue out the door in 'crazy' scenes this morning
In last month's statement, Mr Cornish admitted that they don’t have enough staff to ‘provide the level of services that our passengers deserve’ amid warnings that passengers should arrive three hours before their flights. He said that passengers could expect peak time queues of ‘60 to 90 minutes’ for the ‘next few months’.
But being forewarned does not necessarily lead to acceptance - as proven by the barrage of complaints directed at hub bosses this morning. One passenger tweeted: “Manchester Airport is an absolute shambles! Almost 4 hours in total from check in to get through security! The queue for security started outdoors in the car park.”
Conor McLoughlin, meanwhile, complained that it took him three hours to get from the door to his flight - which was longer than the flight itself. Jack Davies said he’d spent ‘4.5’ hours ‘racing’ through the terminal with a pregnant woman. Another Tweeted: "4hr queue for the T1 security lines at Manchester Airport today. The industry continues to take a battering due to the ineptitude of others."
Another passenger, on Twitter as @Chesters86, described Manchester Airport as a ‘joke’, adding: “spent 45 minutes queuing in T1 for security only to get to the front and discover my flight will now depart from t3, had to join another queue and start the whole process again.”
Tom Booth added: “Had to see it to believe it but utter chaos at Manchester Airport T2 this morning. 1.5 hours queue to drop bags and off and an hour through security.”
Manchester Airport conceded passengers had waited 60-90 minutes in Terminal One on Tuesday morning but said the queues were not ‘continuous’ and did not leave the building. They also confirmed there had been queues at check-in desks, which are managed by airlines and their handling agents.
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “We are aware some customers faced longer waiting times than we would like at different stages of their journey through Manchester Airport this morning and apologise for any inconvenience. We are still advising passengers there could be longer queues than would normally be the case as we, and our partner airlines and handling agents, continue to recover from the pandemic.
“Those travelling through Manchester should arrive three hours before their flights and ensure they are familiar with the latest security rules to help avoid any unnecessary delays.”
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