Leeds Bradford Airport: No missed flights due to queues for a month

In May, Leeds Bradford's boss said about 400 people had missed flights in the previous three months due to check-in delays

No passenger has missed a flight from Leeds Bradford Airport due to queue issues since 10 May, bosses have said.

The airport's chief executive admitted in May that in the previous three months nearly 400 passengers had missed flights because of check-in delays.

All staff needed for the site to run at capacity had since been recruited, but many were still awaiting full Home Office approval, the airport has said.

Processing security passes took up to 10 weeks, an industry expert warned.

The challenges the airport had faced were "industry-wide" and were due to the rapid recovery of international travel following the Covid pandemic, Leeds Bradford Airport said.

About 97,000 passengers had passed through the site in the week starting 30 May, its busiest week since the pandemic, it added.

Although Leeds Bradford had not reported any passengers missing flights due to long queues since 10 May, a fire alarm on 27 May had prompted an evacuation which had led to some passengers missing flights.

Passengers did miss flights from Leeds Bradford after a fire alarm on 27 May prompted an evacuation of the building

Paul Charles, chief executive of the PC Agency, which provides travel and policy advice to governments and travel brands, said Leeds Bradford had been one of the better performing sites.

"Leeds Bradford and one of their main airlines Jet 2 should be credited," he said.

"They actually have done a great job in making sure their flights have mainly got away on time."

The issues affecting the industry were largely due to uncertainty about when pandemic travel restrictions would be lifted, Mr Charles said.

But even though staff were being recruited, they could not begin work until they received their security passes, he added.

"I used to work at Virgin Atlantic and it took me four weeks to get my security pass. That was well before the pandemic. Now it is taking an average of eight to 10 weeks," he said.

Leeds Bradford Airport is only responsible for the parking, security, air traffic control and the movement of passengers through the site.

Partner companies operate baggage, check-in, boarding and immigration services, and all operators have experienced their own difficulties with recruitment.