Manchester Airport passengers hit by fresh queue chaos

Passengers have once again faced delays at Manchester Airport due to long queues for security.

Travellers described the situation as a "shambles" and "appalling" with some forced to queue for up to two hours.

Manchester Airport has apologised for the inconvenience and said it would do all it could to minimise disruption.

Some travellers have faced long queues for check-in and security since the middle of March with some missing their flights.

Various factors have been blamed for the delays, which has also affected Heathrow and Stansted airports, including staff shortages and a spike in demand for travel.

Earlier, long queues were also reported at Birmingham Airport with some describing the situation as "absolute chaos" and "manic".

Ben Leather, 25, a regular on flights between Dublin and Manchester, said he got to the airport "really early - four hours before my flight".

But Mr Leather said he had "never seen queues like this".

"I feel mainly sorry for the workforce who are tremendously understaffed. They are bearing the brunt of disgruntled people.

"However, there were no doubt people around me who would have missed their flights," he added.

Meanwhile, passenger Ryan Hoey, 23, said he had only just made it through security at Manchester Airport in time for his 07:00 BST flight to Belfast.

"It was very bad. They were angry people," he said.

Another passenger vowed not to use the airport again, posting on Twitter that it was "an absolutely appalling experience".

Others vented online they they had "never seen anything like it" while another described it as a "shambles".

A spokesman for Manchester Airport said it continued to make "good progress in our recovery from the devastating impacts of the pandemic".

"However, we are still advising customers that there will be occasions when queues will be longer than usual, as was the case for periods this morning," the spokesman added.

Passengers due to travel through Manchester Airport are advised to arrive three hours before their flight is due to depart, and to ensure their hand luggage is packed in accordance with security rules.

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