Queues at Manchester Airport have been branded 'beyond a joke' as some travellers reportedly missed their flights.
The airport close to Merseyside has been hit by delays and long queues as it is inundated with 'a greater number of passengers than expected.'
Some passengers claimed they queued at passport control for more than two hours, causing them to make their fight with 'minutes to spare', while some missed it altogether.
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As well as lengthy queues being reported, one woman told the MEN that her flight to Gran Canaria with TUI departed more than two hours late due to delays getting the baggage on the plane.
Kathleen Moorland said she was still sat on the plane on the runway at 12.45pm - when it was meant to be departing at 10.10am yesterday on Monday, March 7.
She added that she arrived more than three hours before her flight but still experienced delays, she said: "All you want is an easy start to holiday, not the total chaos that there is."
Another traveller said she witnessed people missing flights after waiting in security for three hours.
Julia Teale tweeted: "@manairport. You really need to sort your staffing issues. Just witnessed people missing flights who have been here three hours but security was so disorganised it’s taking hours to get through.
"If it’s like this in March what will it be like in high season. #notenoughstaff."
While another user, Ian tweeted: "@manairport terminal 2 security is terrible. Massive queue and only two lanes open hour and a half to get through."
Danny Smallman said in a tweet: "@TUIUK what is actually going on at @manairport. T2 this morning. The queues are beyond a joke for check in."
A fourth person, Julie Barnes, said: "@manairport you need to get your act together on logistics! Ridiculous queues for security stretching all the way down to bottom and back around T2."
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said the queues were caused by 'a greater number of passengers than expected'.
Passengers have been urged to get to the airport at least three hours before their scheduled flight time.
A spokesperson for Swissport - who handles baggage for TUI - said: "We would like apologise to those passengers who experienced baggage delays at Manchester Airport following an aircraft change which impacted our resource allocation. We have worked with our airport partners to remedy the delays and normal service has resumed."
