An airline has issued new advice for passengers as they continue to face long delays at Manchester Airport. Staff absences due to Covid and a surge in demand after travel restrictions were eased have led to passengers experiencing long queues at security and check-in.
Airline TUI has said that it is ‘monitoring the situation’ as it works with partners to open check-in earlier for passengers to ease the queues. The airline is introducing the option for holidaymakers to check in their bags the day before departure, depending on the time of the flight.
A spokesperson for TUI said: “We are aware of security queue delays at some airports, predominantly Birmingham and Manchester. We are working closely with our partners to monitor the situation and open check-in as early as possible.
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“We advise customers to please plan to arrive at the airport and proceed to check-in as normal, keeping in mind that standard check-in opens at least two and a half hours before departure time for short and mid-haul flights, and at least three and a half hours before departure for long-haul flights.”
Passengers who are flying before midday will be able to drop off their bags between 2pm and 9pm the day before departure. This service will be available from Manchester Airport from April 18 for flights departing before midday on April 19.
The new service will also be launching in Gatwick. It won’t be available for flights to the USA and will only be available for TUI flights.
Self-service bag drop is currently available at Manchester, which is another way passengers can save time. Bags can be checked in online via Manage My Booking and passengers can proceed straight to bag drop.
Those travelling with just hand luggage can check in online and then go straight to departures. The airline said that they will be contacting customers travelling in the next two weeks to offer additional guidance on travelling throughout the busy holiday period.
Last week, Charlie Cornish, chief executive of airport owner Manchester Airports Group, urged departing travellers to arrive three hours before their flight to avoid missing it. Passengers have faced long delays and chaotic scenes in recent weeks, with queues trailing outside terminals to reach check-in desks and hordes of people waiting to get through security and to pick up luggage. Staff shortages mean the airport cannot open all its security lanes, resulting in long queues.
Mr Cornish said: “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. Despite our efforts since last autumn, the tight labour market around the airport has meant we have just not been able to hire people quickly enough to establish a full-strength team.”
He added: “While we still expect most passengers to get through in less than 30-40 minutes, there will be times over the next few months when waiting times will rise to between 60 and 90 minutes. We understand that people will feel anxious about missing their flights when they see queues of this length. So for now, we are advising passengers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight leaves, to allow enough time to check-in, get through security and reach the departure gate.”
After cutting thousands of jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, the aviation industry in general is suffering from difficulties recruiting staff and waiting for security checks to be passed on new employees. There has also been a recent rise in coronavirus-related staff sickness.
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