Travellers have faced days of lengthy delays at several UK airports owing to the current high numbers of Covid cases among staff, an issue that has also forced airlines – including easyJet and British Airways – to cancel a number of flights.

Manchester airport, which has been under the greatest scrutiny, said the removal of all travel restrictions after two years – coupled with the start of the summer travel season – had resulted in a rapid increase in passenger numbers, "placing "enormous strain" on its operations.

EasyJet confirmed to TTG it would operate the "vast majority" of its 1,525 scheduled flights on Tuesday (5 April), with a "small proportion" cancelled in advance to give customers the ability to rebook onto alternative flights. "We are sorry for any inconvenience for affected customers," said a spokesperson for the airline. "EasyJet will continue to manage the higher than usual sickness rates through advance cancellation of a small proportion of flights over the next few days."

A British Airways spokesperson said the airline several weeks ago pre-emptively reduced its schedule to minimise the current pressures. "While the vast majority of our flights continue to operate as planned, as a precaution, we’ve slightly reduced our schedule between now and the end of May as we ramp back up," they said.

"We’ve apologised to customers who are affected by this and to limit the inconvenience have re-booked them onto earlier or later flights on the same day they were originally due to travel where possible. We’re also offering them the opportunity to book onto an alternative flight or request a full refund.

A Gatwick airport spokesperson warned the Sussex airport’s terminals may be busy during peak periods, such as at weekends and during the Easter holidays, when the airport begins to see passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels.

 
"Passengers are also reminded to check that their passports are still valid – and have enough time left on them for the country being visited – and to check the foreign travel advice for all countries they will visit, or pass through, well in advance of travel," they added.

Elsewhere, a spokesperson for Heathrow said the airport has deployed extra colleagues across its terminals. "The Easter holiday is the first time where UK travel restrictions have been fully removed since the start of the pandemic and we are expecting passenger numbers, not seen since early March 2020," they said. "We have been preparing for this for many months, but like most airports we do anticipate that the travel experience may take slightly longer during peak periods."

However, customers at Birmingham were said to be "moving steadily" through the airport on Tuesday (5 March), with average wait times for security between 10 and 15 minutes. A spokesperson said: "We’d ask all customers travelling to ‘help us help you’ to keep queues moving by presenting compliant baggage - removing liquids and electrical items - at the security scanners."

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the union had warned the aviation sector "repeatedly" throughout the pandemic to not to use the "cover of Covid" to cut jobs and pay. "This would render it unable to meet demand when passengers returned," she sad. "Now the sector is suffering from a chronic inability to attract new staff because workers are not attracted to an industry where pay is poor and conditions are lousy.

"Bargain-basement wages and insecure jobs must be consigned to the past if the sector wants to get back on track. It is pretty simple – if you want to thrive, treat your workers with respect and don’t attack their jobs, pay and conditions."

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said the cancellations will cause "huge frustration" for individuals and families who were awaiting an Easter holiday. "This period was always likely to be a popular holiday time and there is a responsibility on airlines to ensure they have the capacity to run all of the flights they schedule," he said.

"Most passengers will just want to get where they need to be, despite this disruption, so airlines must meet their legal obligations and inform passengers of their right to be rerouted with other carriers or claim a refund."

According to Which?, affected passengers will be entitled to at least £220 compensation in these circumstances to cover out of pocket costs, and airlines should provide refreshments and accommodation as required while customers await a new flight.

Meanwhile, Airport Operators Association chief Karen Dee said: "For many passengers this will be the first time they have travelled abroad since the beginning of the pandemic and the processes required may seem unfamiliar. The advice airports (and airlines) are issuing should help ensure passengers are as prepared as they can be.

"If airports and passengers work together in this way, we can get everyone on their way as smoothly and quickly as possible."