UK holidaymakers brace for delays at airports this Easter
Passengers expecting delays at UK airports this Easter holiday are taking extra precautions including arriving early, with some even staying in nearby hotels the night before they fly.
Sallyanne Glynn, 52, decided to stay in a hotel near Heathrow with her family the night before a flight to New York to celebrate her daughter’s 21st birthday, at a cost of £1,000. “It was to make things easier for us,” she said. “I don’t think anybody is back to normal yet. The airport is a huge operation with thousands of staff and you can’t just switch that on and off.”
Airports are expecting a huge surge in passenger numbers as people jet off on longed-for Easter breaks after the lifting of Covid travel restrictions. Travel company Tui said demand was “strong” for school holiday getaways. Hays Travel also said it was “very busy” for overseas departures over Easter.
Many airports have recruited more staff to help cope after layoffs during the pandemic and other staff leaving during the so-called “Great Resignation” have resulted in shortages. With a tight and competitive labour market, airports are struggling to fill vacancies.
Heathrow has deployed extra colleagues to help people get on their way as quickly and smoothly as possible, in expectation of passenger numbers “not seen since early March 2020”.
Manchester airport, which is reopening its second runway next Tuesday, said it was working to put measures in place. A spokesperson said that during the pandemic there was a reduction of about 25% in staff numbers and that it began a “bumper” recruitment drive in January to “fill hundreds of roles in its security operation”. The airport’s partner organisations, such as airlines and ground handlers, have also been recruiting.
Stansted began a
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