Manchester Airport delays: latest Easter school holidays travel advice from airport bosses today

Transport bosses are warning holidaymakers to brace themselves for more disruption as the Easter school holidays put additional pressure on stretched airports - admitting: “It is going to be busy.”

Following the recent long queues and delays at Manchester Airport, travellers are being urged to allow extra time for journeys to the airport, check-in and security.

The airport said that staff shortages had left them struggling as the demand for international travel increases quicker than they can hire people, despite a recruitment drive for a number of roles including security staff.

They added that challenges were being faced by other parts of the travel industry, meaning staff shortages could also impact the services provided by check-in, plus baggage reclaim and immigration checks at the border.

There have been scenes of bags left piling up on carousels, too, with reports on Monday (11 April) suggesting some passengers also faced long waits to disembark planes after they arrived in to Manchester.

Bosses have asked travellers to arrive at the ‘earliest time recommended by their airline’ - and to make sure in advance their carry-on bags meet requirements. The spokesman said as many people haven’t flown during the pandemic, some may have forgotten which items are forbidden in cabin bags, and a lot of people forget they have hand sanitiser in their pockets and handbags.

See our video report above for the full latest advice from airport bosses, who spoke to ManchesterWorld about travelling during the Easter break and the common pitfalls travellers face.

For our detailed step by step guide to getting through the airport more smoothly, and the latest news on queues each day, see here.