In a bid to combat the delays, GlobalData said Manchester Airports Group (MAG) increased the number of active jobs available on its career pages, with open positions increasing from 65 in December to 110 in February. Only 36 positions were closed in this period.

According to GlobalData, total domestic and outbound visits in August from the UK are projected to be more than double the total number of visits in April.

The company said if staff shortages are not addressed by the peak of the summer season in airports such as Manchester and Stansted, the impact could be "calamitous" for the UK’s aviation and the wider tourism industry.

Ralph Hollister, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, said staff shortages could remain a problem for "several months" as airports "scramble" to match employment levels with demand.

"When travel came to a standstill during the pandemic, many airport employees left their positions to work in other industries," he added.

"Stories of unruly passengers, often long commute times, and job uncertainty, as seen with Covid-19, could be off-putting for many currently seeking work."