Express & Star

Travel chaos AGAIN at Birmingham Airport as passengers hit with huge delays

Massive delays, missing luggage, low staff numbers and grounded planes - Birmingham Airport has been hit by travel chaos for the second time in three months.

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Birmingham Airport

Passengers bound for Crete on a Thompson Airways flight were forced to wait on the airport tarmac for two hours, while others claimed that luggage had been lost and that queues of more than an hour formed at baggage collection points.

The problems were caused by ground handler Swissport experiencing a chronic lack of staff over the past week, with around a quarter of their team - between 20 and 30 staff - calling in sick.

The firm had hoped the issue would be resolved by the end of last week, but holidaymakers continued to face lengthy delays until Tuesday this week.

It comes as the airport struggles to deal with the extra influx of passengers at the start of the school holidays - one of the busiest periods of the year.

Many passengers took to social media to hit out at the delays.

Wayne Barker wrote on Twitter: "@swissport @bhx_official stood waiting for one hour and ten minutes for our bags? Is this a joke?"

Adil wrote: "@swissport Shambles at Birmingham Airport, lost our luggage and no one to open the doors when the plane landed."

Melissa Dickinson said: "Landed on time, Birmingham Airport can’t get us off the plane - sat for 25 minutes. Disappointed once again."

A statement on the Birmingham Airport website said Swissport’s staffing issues were ‘intermittently’ impacting on operations and passengers.

"Birmingham Airport can confirm that ground handler, Swissport, is experiencing staffing issues which are intermittently impacting on the operations and passengers,” it read.

"Birmingham Airport is doing everything in its power to support Swissport and sincerely apologises for the impact this is having on passengers travelling through Birmingham Airport.

"Swissport is contracted by airlines to manage ground operations at Birmingham; however, recognising the impact to customers, the Airport is providing significant operation support.

"Despite this effort, the Airport regrets to inform passengers travelling from Birmingham that they may suffer delays.

"Birmingham Airport is doing everything in its power to support Swissport, and sincerely apologises for the impact this is having on passengers travelling through Birmingham.

"Passengers should feedback concerns to their airline, which contracts Swissport to provide ground services."

In May some passengers claimed they had missed flights due to long queues at check in desks, caused partly by the temporary closure of the airport's drop and go car park.

Dozens of services were delayed.