Brits are facing three-hour queues at major UK airports for the third day in a row as airlines cancelled more than 150 flights and passengers witnessed scenes of "carnage".
Huge lines were seen snaking around the outside of Leeds Bradford Airport as early as 3.50am this morning, while passengers also reported delays at Manchester, Heathrow, Stansted, Birmingham and Bristol.
British Airways called off 124 short-haul flights at Heathrow on Wednesday, saying customers were given advance notice, while easyJet axed at least 31 trips from Gatwick, including to destinations such as Italy, Spain and Poland.
TUI is continuing to cancel six daily flights at Manchester Airport, which represents a quarter of its schedule. Customers have been waking up to 2.30am texts informing them of their cancelled trips - with one woman saying she felt like "crying her eyes out".
Ryanair passengers are also being warned of serious disruption this summer, with baggage handlers at Blue Handling threatening to strike during the peak travel season in a row over pay.
Meanwhile, some travellers had to stay in a hotel overnight and have their flight rescheduled to today after a pilot called on the police to help hundreds of passengers disembark an "abandoned" plane left on the tarmac for three hours.
One easyJet passenger tweeted a photograph shortly after 4am from Manchester Airport showing a long queue of people in a car park outside Terminal 1, describing the situation as "carnage".
And a group of more than 50 pensioners flew off on their first holiday since lockdown - from Gatwick to the Isle of Man - only to end up back where they started 12 hours later due to high winds.
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The continuing chaos comes as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps demands a meeting with aviation bosses to find out "what's gone wrong" as millions of people face delays while embarking on half-term getaways to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
Passengers have been hit by disruption for several months, with the aviation industry suffering from staff shortages after laying thousands of people off during the coronavirus pandemic and struggling to recruit more.
One passenger shared a video of weary-eyed travellers queuing outside at daybreak, writing: "It's absolute chaos at Leeds Bradford Airport, glad we got here when we did at 3:50am for our flight at 7.25am as the queue currently runs all the way round the OUTSIDE of the airport."
Another social media user at Stansted posted: "Security queues so full already it’s not even possible to pass through the ticket check gates to join the queue.
"At least it’s moving but the airport are still selling fast track tickets for a non existing fast track."
Jodie Frankland, who was due to depart from Manchester Airport, wrote this morning: "Waking up to an email that our holiday has been cancelled!!
"Literally could cry my eyes out @manairport @TUIUK."
And an easyJet passenger tweeted a photograph shortly after 4am from Manchester Airport showing a long queue of people in a car park outside Terminal 1.
He said: "Took two hours 45 minutes to get through - most of that was bag drop.
"Now on the aircraft, but due to shortage of ground crew, there's going to be another delay of approximately 50 minutes."
Another easyJet customer reported having to wait for two hours and 40 minutes to receive his luggage after landing at Gatwick Airport shortly before 3am.
He said this was "simply not good enough".
Meanwhile, BBC radio presenter Rev Richard Coles said his niece's flight was delayed because there were no sandwiches on the plane.
He tweeted: "Niece stuck at Birmingham Airport for nearly 24 hours about to board replacement flight when it’s delayed again because the sandwiches haven’t arrived and no-one at the caterers is answering the phone."
It is the third day in a row that Brits have faced airport disruption, with police even having to be drafted in yesterday to read out a letter from TUI telling furious passengers their flight had been cancelled.
Video footage showed officers addressing a crowd of fed-up passengers at Manchester Airport with the disappointing news on Tuesday morning, only to be met with jeers and shouts.
People were told they “won’t be going today”, but they were eligible for a full refund, a £350 compensation and £200 holiday voucher per person, and they were told to leave the airport.
The passengers, who were spoken to by the officers as they waited at the boarding gate, had already had a nightmare eight-hour wait at the airport, it was reported.
And in further chaotic scenes at Manchester Airport last night, holidaymakers were stuck on the tarmac before being escorted off the plane after flight TOM2106 to Tenerife was hit by an initial delay.
Adam Wyczalkowski, 22, who was set to travel to the sunny island with four friends for a four-night break, said travellers were stranded until 10pm when police arrived to help disembark the aircraft after passengers had become disruptive.
It also emerged yesterday that British holidaymakers are facing long queues when they touch down in Spain, with those arriving at Majorca Airport taking an average of nearly three hours after landing to reach coaches taking them to their hotels, it was claimed.
In stark contrast, Irish citizens - who hold EU passports - "sailed through" Malaga Airport as they queued in a separate line to Brits.
Airlines and airports repeatedly called for more financial support during the Covid-19 crisis as Government restrictions suppressed demand.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Mr Shapps said the Government had "done its part", adding that airlines and ground handlers need to ensure there is no more disruption.
Mr Shapps referred to the £8billion given to the aviation industry during the pandemic as well as legislation he introduced last month which allows new aviation recruits to begin training before passing security checks.
He said: "It's been very distressing to see passengers facing yet more disruption at airports - having well-earned holidays cancelled and plans left in disarray.
"We've been clear that industry leaders need to tackle the issues we saw at Easter head-on. Although some steps have been taken, we are still not seeing the progress we need to."
He said the Government "will be meeting with airports, airlines and ground handlers again to find out what's gone wrong and how they are planning to end the current run of cancellations and delays".
He added that operators "seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver" despite Government warnings. "Government has done its part," he said.
"It is now on airports, airlines and ground handlers to make sure everyone's well-deserved holidays can go ahead free from the major disruption we've seen in recent days."
Meanwhile, deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has said he does not know if aviation bosses are looking to access tax records that would help them to recruit staff more quickly.
He told Sky News: "I don't know the details of that. But I do know that we've made some changes on the regulatory front because we know that there's a demand for recruitment and we want to help the airline industry deal with that."
As the situation escalated, the Labour Party accused ministers of failing to provide enough support to the aviation sector.
Shadow levelling up, housing and communities secretary Lisa Nandy said "any government worth its salt would be moving heaven and earth to stop the misery and the chaos" unfolding at airports.
She added: "We need a proper post-Covid plan to get the industry back on its feet and get things moving again, including filling recruitment shortages that have emerged as a result of the pandemic."
And Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh accused the Government of being "missing in action". "They should show some responsibility, do their job, and take concrete steps to tackle the chaos growing on their watch," she said.
Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham said those in charge of UK aviation companies "should hang their heads in shame".
Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of the Prospect union, said there are staff shortages across the industry, adding: "Things could get worse this summer before they get better."
Rory Boland, editor of the magazine Which? Travel, said: "The blame game over staff shortages and flight cancellations is no help at all to passengers, who need instant action to bring an end to the airport chaos that is causing so much misery and leaving many people out of pocket, with little hope of getting all their money back."
Airlines UK, the industry body representing UK-registered carriers, said in a statement that the UK's aviation sector had only had "a matter of weeks" to recover after being "grounded for almost two years".
It added: "Despite this, and without the ability to know when restrictions would be completely removed or predict how much flying would be possible over the summer, the vast majority of the many tens of thousands of UK-departing flights a week will be operating as scheduled.
"The focus now should be on our customers, with airports, airlines and Government working together in the best interests of Britons to ensure they get away over the summer."
