Fury as Bristol Airport passengers queue OUTSIDE terminal due to ‘staffing shortage’

Passengers at Bristol Airport were left angry by ‘massive queues’ to get through security this morning, with pictures showing people standing in line outside the terminal.

Two days after the airport reported an IT problem, there were further issues today with many people taking to social media to vent their annoyance at the length of queues.

In total, 16 flights departed the airport between 6am and 7am - and it appeared the surge in passengers coming to the airport to board the flights combined with a staffing shortage had a real impact.

On Twitter, Ollie Yorke said: “Bristol Airport absolute chaos! It’s almost as if no one knew a lot of people would be flying.”

And in response to a reply from the airport, he added: “I for one am extremely glad you’re going to let the management team know there’s a lot of people flying from the airport. I’m sure all those that missed their flights will appreciate this too.”

Another passenger called George tweeted: “Bloody hell Bristol Airport, this massive queue just for security?!”

David Thompson said: “Took 2.5 hours to get through Bristol Airport this morning. People queuing out of the terminal and into the car park. Chaos.”

Caroline Rees said: “Utter utter shambles at security this am. Huge queues. Totally mismanaged and unacceptable.”

In response to some of the tweets, a spokesperson for Bristol Airport said the comments would be passed on to the management team.

BristolWorld approached Bristol Airport for comment.

A spokesperson said: “We apologise to customers impacted by above average queue times for security early on Tuesday 3 May.

“We work closely with all business partners to ensure staffing levels are sufficient to provide a good service to passengers. However, on some occasions staff shortages can impact on waiting times and service standards.

“We constantly review resourcing across all areas and adapt plans to meet demand and build in resilience where possible.

“We advise all customers to arrive in the terminal a minimum of two hours before scheduled flight departure time to allow sufficient time to complete all the necessary check-in, bag-drop, security, and boarding processes ahead of their flight.”

Last month, the airport said it was expecting a strong increase in passenger numbers due to a ‘huge pent-up demand’ for air travel.

And last week it offered fresh advice to passengers in a bid to speed up the process of getting through security. It included removing laptops and computers, placing liquids in separate liquid bags and taking off jackets and coats.

People are adviced to arrive at least two hours before the scheduled departure time of the flight. And if carrying only cabin luggage, they should arrive at the security gates at least two hours before the flight time.