Passengers flying from Leeds Bradford Airport this Easter have been told to expect queues at two peak periods of the day.
The airport hasn't experienced horror queues like those seen at Manchester Airport this week, where long lines of frustrated commuters have snaked through the terminal. However, people flying from Yorkshire have been told they could face longer waits than normal due to "industry-wide" challenges.
The main bottlenecks are happening at the security gates at the Yeadon terminal. A spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport said there are two distinct periods of the day when there is likely to be a backlog.
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The first peak travel time is between 5am and 9am, which is when the airport is "experiencing longer queuing times for our security process". A second 'rush hour' tends to take place in the late afternoon.
While "very few passengers have missed flights", a handful of passengers did so recently. The airport says this was because they arrived late or had issues at the security gates.
Last month, pictures emerged of long queues at Leeds Bradford Airport as 67 people missed their flights. On Saturday, March 19, @philchalk tweeted: "At approx 06:00 yesterday morning, the queue for security pretty much stretching (sic) the length of the terminal - two hours from bag check-in to gate... and the staff say this is normal currently."
Another photo of big queues at Leeds Bradford Airport was recently tweeted by @QuantrillTim - although this was also taken "a couple of weeks ago".
To avoid missing their flights, holidaymakers are being asked to arrive at the airport at least three hours early. Staff are also calling passengers to the front of the queue to ensure families do not get stuck in the queues and miss their flights.
All passengers are being asked to be prepared for the security process by removing liquids and electronic devices from their carry-on luggage. People are also being reminded to empty their pockets and take off boots or high heel hoes before arriving at the security gates.
Airports across the country have been struggling to cope with staff shortages and a sudden influx of passengers returning after the end of Covid restrictions. Manchester Airport has been described as "peak chaos", with "security nightmares" forcing people to miss flights.
Leeds Bradford Airport announced more than 100 redundancies during the pandemic. However, it has now launched a major recruitment drive to boost staff numbers and minimise disruption.
A spokesperson for the airport said passenger numbers are now three times higher than they were in January due to the "rapid recovery of international travel". Existing employees are also being trained "each week" to help deal with the influx of passengers.
"We have additional opportunities across the operation and encourage anyone looking for work," added the spokesperson. Anyone who is interested in applying for a job at Leeds Bradford Airport should visit the website.
Have you been affected by queues at Leeds Bradford Airport? Send an email to kristian.johnson@reachplc.com
