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Queues stretch outside Bristol Airport as flyers arrive five hours early
Bristol Airport is experiencing five-hour long queues as the airport faces its busiest week of travel since the pandemic.
Last week, the airport was compared to a ‘zoo’, amid passengers at the site by Lulsgate Bottom among thousands affected by mass cancellations of UK flights.
On Monday, travellers reported being stuck outside Bristol’s terminal from 5am, trying to reach check-in desks.
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Paul Trueman Tweeted: “It’s five in the morning and this is the queue for the departure gates. That building in the distance is the airport.”
Another traveller wrote: “In all my years flying from Bristol Airport I have never seen it like this. Not sure if I am in Bristol Airport or Bristol Zoo.”
Over 300,000 customers are expected to travel through Bristol Airport over the Platinum Jubilee period – with up to 30,000 customers flying on some days.
“Holidaymakers to the Southwest. Thousands of ’em.” #bristolairport pic.twitter.com/R3Lf7HaPVN
— Paul Trueman (@paulwtrueman) May 30, 2022
In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The Bristol Airport team and business partners are working hard to ensure all customers have a smooth and easy journey through the terminal. We’re sorry that this morning there were longer queues at security.
“For early morning flight departures we are seeing customers arriving five hours prior to flight departure, adding to the congestion in the terminal. This is something we have not experienced before.
“When customers are queuing before check-in and security opens it provides a negative customer experience for everyone, and one we want to avoid.
“We advise all customers to arrive in the terminal when their check-in opens, this helps us to manage resources and gets customers on their way quickly and efficiently as possible.
“Each day over 80% of customers experience less than a 20-minute security queue time, it is only during peak flight operations we extend beyond this.”
We appreciate the frustration experienced by customers early this morning & apologise for the queues at security, which reached 90 minutes for a short period. Over 80% of our customers experience less than a 20-minute security queue; only during peak times we extend beyond this.
— Bristol Airport (@BristolAirport) May 30, 2022
Passengers are asked to check in online and arrive in the terminal when the check-in desk opens, in an effort to ease passenger flow.
Airports across the UK have been hit with delays and cancellations this week as airlines struggle to keep up with demand due to staff shortages and supply chain issues.
Main photo: @paulwtrueman
Read more: Queen’s Jubilee: Orchestra to parade through Bristol on open-top bus
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