Airlines and cross-Channel services brace for busiest weekend since Covid
Airlines and cross-Channel services are braced for their busiest weekend since the start of the pandemic, with outbound and returning holidaymakers set to swell numbers at ports that are already struggling to cope with surging demand.
With all areas of the UK now on Easter holidays, passengers have been told to allow extra time to negotiate airport queues, as high rates of Covid infections worsen staff shortages at check-in and security.
Meanwhile, tailbacks on the major roads to the Channel are expected to intensify, as Eurotunnel anticipates rising traffic in both directions and P&O Ferries services remain suspended. Passengers booked with P&O on the Dover-Calais route have been told they cannot travel this weekend, as the rival operator DFDS, which had been accommodating P&O customers, is now fully booked.
Airports are redeploying office staff with security clearance to frontline roles where possible to help mitigate the chaotic scenes of recent days, particularly at Manchester airport.
Manchester appeared to cope slightly better on Thursday, according to passenger reports on social media, but admitted it would be some time before its operations functioned normally. A spokesperson said passengers could still face waits in security of 60-90 minutes in “the next few months”. They advised arriving at the airport three hours before flight departure, and asked passengers to ensure they were fully prepared to comply with security rules on liquids and electrical items to minimise delay.
The Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said this week it would take two months for the airport to bring in enough staff, and urged the government to help speed up the security clearance of new recruits. Police and transport staff from the
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