Some passengers getting away for the Bank Holiday weekend at Manchester Airport this morning have reported facing huge queues - while others said they were 'super impressed'.
The airport has been plagued with issues in recent weeks, with scenes of crowded check-in halls, long security queues and baggage delays becoming bleakly familiar. Hub boss Charlie Cornish previously issued a frank apology and said that due to staff shortages, they would be unable to give passengers 'the level of service they deserve' over the coming months, until the workforce had been strengthened.
Today (April 29), there is a mixed view from the airport as some passengers have reported having more negative experiences than others. One holidaymaker described the situation as a 'joke' and said they had to queue for passport control for two hours.
READ MORE: Mum 'fuming' after being asked to 'prove she lives in UK' at Manchester Airport
Another said they had been in a queue for one hour and had moved '10 feet'. While another holidaymaker said they were faced with three hour queues before getting onto their flight, though the airport said that queues time have not risen above 90 minutes today.
In a tweet posted at around 5am this morning, Bradley said: "@manairport this is why Manchester Airport is one of the worst in the world. Been queuing for 3 hours to get onto flight: people that arrive late are shown to front of the queue. 3 security desks open. disgusting."
Just before 7am, Martin Yorkshire tweeted: "@manairport I was dreading the experience at Manchester Airport this morning, I was right to be fearful. T3 is truly an overcrowded third world dump."
Also at around 7am, Derek said on Twitter: "@manairport anyone going to the airport this morning. Expect to que. Wife has just got though passport control after waiting for 2 hours and she only had a small hand bag. Wife never complains about anything but even she said it’s a JOKE."
However, several passengers have reported having a better start to their holiday at the airport this morning. At around 1am, Lara Boyd tweeted: "Arrived at @manairport 3:20, through T1 security in 20 min. Loads of staff, great organisation. #manchesterairport."
Another tweeted posted by Julie at 8.30am said: "#manairport T2 35mins from bag drop to getting a glass of fizzy - it was a breeze."
A tweet by Jess Hale at 9.10am said: "@manairport was a dream this morning despite all the horror stories! no queues, friendly staff, super impressed."
Holidaymakers have previously been advised to arrive three hours before their flight. A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said this morning: "We apologise to passengers who have encountered longer queues than they may be used to this morning. We are in the process of recovering after the most damaging two years in our industry’s history, and whilst we have made strong progress on recruitment, unfortunately we remain some way short of where we need to be.
“It is still the case that most passengers will pass through security in fewer than 30 minutes, but at peak times queues may rise to between 60 and 90 minutes. As such we are advising passengers to arrive three hours before their departure, and to double-check that their hand luggage is compliant with rules on liquids and electrical items. If they do this, we are confident we will get them on their way this Bank Holiday weekend."
Chief Executive Charlie Cornish said in a previous statement: "I cannot apologise enough for the disruption people have faced. The simple fact is that we don’t currently have the number of staff we need to provide the level of service that our passengers deserve.
He added: "I also want to be clear that a huge amount of work is going into improving the situation in the short-term. Our focus for the next four weeks is on delivering a more predictable and reliable level of service for passengers."
