scoot
7th Aug 2003, 21:58
Summer time queues
MANCHESTER Airport bosses have apologised for a summer of huge queues for thousands of departing holidaymakers - and vowed to put it right.
Passengers are regularly forced to endure huge queues to clear security.
Staffing problems caused by a fall in wages for security workers, with more rigorous screening and checks, are being blamed for the delays at Terminal One, from where the most package-deal holidaymakers depart.
At its worst, the queue snakes round the main arrivals halls and even as far as the check-in desks.
Our picture was taken during an hour when 3,000 passengers passed through the airport's security checks. They were forced to queue all round the main departures hall.
Concerned
The airport sets itself a target of four minutes to get passengers through security - but it can sometimes take up to half-an-hour.
The airlines have become so concerned about the delays at security - it has caused some flights to be delayed - they have complained to airport bosses.
Now they have apologised to passengers for any inconvenience and revealed they have employed a team of queue-busters to rectify the problem.
One high-ranking official at a major airline, who asked not to be identified, said: "It's a matter of some concern to us. We have complained and the airport has said it is addressing the issue.
"I can't say definitely what's causing it, but I know it's a real struggle to keep hold of security staff now because their wages have fallen so much.
"Some of them obviously decide they don't want to turn up at three in the morning for the wages they are on. It means fewer X-ray machines are working at busy times, hence the queues. It's like that three or four times a week.
Commitment
"It also takes a long time to train replacements. And it's costing the airport because the airlines get money back for each passenger who isn't cleared in four minutes."
A spokesman for Manchester Airport Aviation Services, one of the group of airport companies in charge of security, said: "As part of our ongoing commitment to improving services for our passengers, new staff and procedures have been put in place to help monitor and reduce queuing times for passengers.
"Manchester Airport has recently appointed three new security key account managers and nine new team leaders who are operating at all three terminals to ensure that we provide a good level of service to our passengers and to the airlines.
"Part of their job is to monitor queues before they build up and ensure their dispersal as quickly as possible."
06/08/2003 copyright Manchester Evening News
MANCHESTER Airport bosses have apologised for a summer of huge queues for thousands of departing holidaymakers - and vowed to put it right.
Passengers are regularly forced to endure huge queues to clear security.
Staffing problems caused by a fall in wages for security workers, with more rigorous screening and checks, are being blamed for the delays at Terminal One, from where the most package-deal holidaymakers depart.
At its worst, the queue snakes round the main arrivals halls and even as far as the check-in desks.
Our picture was taken during an hour when 3,000 passengers passed through the airport's security checks. They were forced to queue all round the main departures hall.
Concerned
The airport sets itself a target of four minutes to get passengers through security - but it can sometimes take up to half-an-hour.
The airlines have become so concerned about the delays at security - it has caused some flights to be delayed - they have complained to airport bosses.
Now they have apologised to passengers for any inconvenience and revealed they have employed a team of queue-busters to rectify the problem.
One high-ranking official at a major airline, who asked not to be identified, said: "It's a matter of some concern to us. We have complained and the airport has said it is addressing the issue.
"I can't say definitely what's causing it, but I know it's a real struggle to keep hold of security staff now because their wages have fallen so much.
"Some of them obviously decide they don't want to turn up at three in the morning for the wages they are on. It means fewer X-ray machines are working at busy times, hence the queues. It's like that three or four times a week.
Commitment
"It also takes a long time to train replacements. And it's costing the airport because the airlines get money back for each passenger who isn't cleared in four minutes."
A spokesman for Manchester Airport Aviation Services, one of the group of airport companies in charge of security, said: "As part of our ongoing commitment to improving services for our passengers, new staff and procedures have been put in place to help monitor and reduce queuing times for passengers.
"Manchester Airport has recently appointed three new security key account managers and nine new team leaders who are operating at all three terminals to ensure that we provide a good level of service to our passengers and to the airlines.
"Part of their job is to monitor queues before they build up and ensure their dispersal as quickly as possible."
06/08/2003 copyright Manchester Evening News