Ryanair is telling people flying out of Bristol airport to get there three hours before their plane is scheduled to take-off. It comes as the great British summer getaway continues into the first weekend since schools broke-up.
The low-cost airline says it wants customers there earlier because of security delays at the airport in north Somerset. Passengers are usually advised to arrive at airports two hours before flights.
People booked on the 8.30am flight from Bristol to Budapest in Hungary were told to arrive at the airport earlier than they would otherwise have planned to.
An email sent on Friday afternoon said: "In relation to your upcoming flight, please arrive at the airport 3 hours prior to the departure of your Ryanair flight as we are experiencing security delays at the Airport.
"You should be at the boarding gate for your flight at least 30 minutes prior to the departure of your flight.
"Thank you for choosing to fly with us and we look forward to welcoming you onboard very soon."
Airports across the UK have struggled to cope with passenger numbers since the end of the pandemic and the resumption of international travel without Covid-19 testing. There have been issues with recruiting and training staff after many people were let go during the Covid outbreak.
Gatwick Airport said it has hired 400 new security staff in recent weeks to help ease queues. Bosses said more staff are being recruited in a move aimed at reducing pressure on the airport as it goes into the busy school summer holiday period.
Gatwick is also trying to increase awareness about placing liquids in a clear bag, separate from hand luggage, to reduce delays at security.
Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, recently introduced a cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until September 11, and pleaded with carriers to stop selling summer tickets.
However, the Telegraph reported that it has seen a letter from Mark Powell, Heathrow’s director of operational planning, which said a cap of 1,200 aircraft arriving and departing per day could last until October 29. Many passengers flying to and from the Heathrow have suffered severe disruption in recent months, with long security queues and baggage system breakdowns.
Staffing for ground handling teams at Heathrow are only at 70% of pre-pandemic levels, whereas passenger numbers are at 80%-85%.
EasyJet announced this week that it has recruited 350 new customer service staff and is opening a new call centre in Milan to help ease delays. The airline will also be stationing head office staff in UK airports to provide additional support to passengers, and has introduced new interactive signage in airports.
It will also allow customers travelling on early-morning flights to drop hold baggage off the evening before they travel.
