The airport said it was continuing to recruit new security staff as passenger numbers pick up rapidly, which has helped to bring down queues for security.

It added that 90% of passengers in the past two weeks had gone through security in less than 30 minutes, which compares to a figure of 78% during the first two weeks of April.

Ian Costigan, interim managing director of Manchester airport, said: “It is encouraging to see new staff joining us as a result of our ongoing recruitment drive, and we have seen security waiting times reduce in recent weeks.

The UK’s third largest airport is taking on another 200 staff this month, on top of the 60 new employees who joined in May, in a bid to improve service ahead of the peak summer season. More than 500 new employees are currently going through background checks and security training.

Passenger traffic at Manchester airport is now back to 79% of pre-Covid levels, compared with just 40% in January.

“As we continue to recover, we are reminding customers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight and to ensure they are familiar with all security rules,” added Costigan.

“All of these things will help passengers move through the airport quickly and easily, which is our ultimate goal.”