Travellers flying to and from Manchester Airport have faced long delays and chaotic scenes with queues trailing outside terminals to reach check-in and hordes of people waiting to get through security and to pick up luggage.
Piles of suitcases have been left in terminals after travellers abandoned the wait to reclaim their baggage and instead left for home. The airport, along with much of the aviation industry, has struggled to recruit staff made redundant after the pandemic shutdown airports and travel.
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Passengers have complained about missing their flights due to the queues. With this in mind, the ECHO asked EasyJet, TUI, Ryanair, British Airways and Jet2 what time passengers should aim to arrive for before their flight. British Airways and Jet2 did not respond.
TUI
TUI is advising customers to arrive up to three hours before departure and to allow extra time to go through security before going to their boarding gate.
EasyJet
EasyJet passengers are being advised to arrive at the airport two hours before their flight time.
An EasyJet spokesperson said: "We are aware of security delays at Manchester Airport and so are advising customers to arrive at the airport with plenty of time ahead of their flight. We continue to work with Manchester airport to ensure a solution is found for our customers.”
Ryanair
A Ryanair spokesperson told the ECHO: "Due to ongoing delays at Manchester Airport, Ryanair advises passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departure time. We apologise to our customers for these unfortunate delays.”
What has Manchester Airport said?
A spokesman for Manchester Airport said passengers were being advised that "security queues may be longer than usual" and urged to arrive early for their flight.
They said: "We apologise to passengers whose experience at Manchester Airport has fallen short of the standards they expected. As we recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, our whole industry is facing staff shortages and recruitment challenges.
"As a result, we are advising customers that security queues may be longer than usual, and we encourage them to arrive at the earliest time recommended by their airline. Due to the security checks and training associated with these roles, it takes time for people to be able to start work in our operation.
"That is why we are exploring a number of short-term measures to deliver the best possible service we can, such as the use of agency staff and different ways in which existing colleagues can support our operation. We are aware similar challenges are being faced by airlines and third parties, such as baggage handling agents, operating on our site.
"Together, we are working hard to deliver the best possible service we can in the circumstances, and to resolve these issues as quickly as possible."
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