Huge delays at Manchester Airport are set to last for weeks, likely into the Easter break and beyond, a councillor who has met with terminal bosses said.
The airport, which is the biggest in the north of England and has a direct rail link to Newcastle, is the scene of ongoing "mayhem", as Manchester Evening News puts it, with lengthy security queues, flight delays and stressed baggage handlers.
The disruption continues. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to meet today with bosses at the airport, which is partly owned by 10 councils across Greater Manchester, including Manchester Council, who hold the biggest stake, reports MEN.
Read more: Yes, you can take food through airport security, if you play by the rules
A councillor has said he expects the disruption to continue for weeks, and even into the summer.
Councillor Pat Karney told BBC that the airport's bosses "plan to make changes" and called for a meeting between management and the shareholders, including the 10 councils.
Coun Karney said management underestimated how quickly passenger levels would recover after Covid-19 restrictions ended and warned any changes could be "weeks off", adding that problems may not be resolved until the summer.
"To be brutally honest, we're going to have delays and queues over Easter," he added.
Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham called on Manchester Airport passengers to arrive early and be patient.
He said: "To some degree, airports all over the world are going through this because gearing up an airport after they're almost ground to a halt over the last couple of years is a really hard thing to do.
"Airports need staff across security, check-in, retail – there's a huge number of people who work at an airport and it's not easy to go back. Everyone wants to fly again because they can and yet the airport has got that lag in terms of bringing the staff back.
"All of us need to be patient and understand the situation that they're in. I think a clear message to the public is to allow more time to travel. If you're travelling through the airport, I think arrive earlier than you would have done to give people the ability to get through."
"We are seeking reassurance from the airport because we need to know there's a plan in place to prevent a repeat of some of the scenes we've seen. At the same time, there's something I can do to support them.
"Can we work with our fire service and police service to do a little more to help the airport manage some of the pressures that it has? All of that will be discussed tomorrow.
"It is a challenging situation, but we will support the airport through it."
Go here for more what's on updates, news and reviews from around the North East
