The exact time passengers should get to the airport for has been a hot topic in recent weeks and Liverpool Airport has now issued some advice.
Travellers are often advised to get to the airport early but many holidaymakers have been arriving several hours before they even set foot on the plane following the chaotic scenes witnessed at several UK airports this month.
Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and London Gatwick have all encountered problems following staffing levels at security and check-in desks, and as a result passengers have found themselves queuing for hours, with some of the check-in lines leading out into car parks.
Travellers at Manchester Airport commented that they had never seen queues 'this bad', and some even missed their flights while waiting to check-in. In Birmingham Airport has also been plagued by complaints over ling queues, with some reports of delays to arriving passengers being held on the runway, waiting for ground staff to let them off.
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Liverpool John Lennon Airport seems to have missed the chaos despite reporting that they too have had staffing levels reduced following the downturn in business during the coronavirus pandemic.
Liverpool Airport said travellers have been turning up earlier than necessary. The airport has had to advise their passengers not to arrive too early, before check-in or security is open, as it can create queues for no reason.
A spokesperson for Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) said: "Not all airports have experienced severe queuing issues and subsequent missed flights, however many passengers arriving at Liverpool expect there to be significant problems here because of what they have seen elsewhere and as a consequence have been arriving four and five hours before their departure, which in turn has created unnecessary queues for themselves as they are too early to be able to check-in.
The north west airport is recommending passengers to arrive two hours, but no more than two and a half hours, before the time of their flight departure, because "a rriving too early can cause unnecessary queues."
They said: "Our airport car parks are all within walking distance of the terminal building and our security teams are prepared for the passenger numbers expected, helping to ensure a smooth transit through to the Departure Lounge. The boarding gates take no more than 10-15 minutes to reach after processing through security, and nearly all the food and beverage and retail areas have now reopened following the pandemic, for passengers to relax in before their flight."
Queue times are being reported at approximately 15-20 minutes at LJLA during peak times and significantly less at off-peak times during the day. Travellers flying from Liverpool Airport are being urged to prepare in advance for their arrival. This includes having paperwork in place, such as look at parking locations in advance, and having all the necessary airline documents to hand or on smartphones and check in online where possible.
A spokesperson added: "Take only what is necessary for the flight in hand luggage. There are many more restrictions in hand luggage (carry on) than there are in check-in luggage, with restrictions still in place regarding liquids.
"Fewer items in hand luggage can mean a swifter process through security. Check on our website for information on arriving at the airport and security restrictions to ensure you are prepared."
Staffing levels are relatively back to normal, say LJLA following phased reopening's of retail units and recruitment commencing earlier in the year.
