Gatwick Airport hires 400 security staff for summer

Hundreds of people have been delayed or had flights cancelled in recent weeks

Gatwick Airport has hired 400 extra security staff to try to ease queues during the school summer holidays.

Bosses said having the extra workers would make the airport process "as smooth as possible".

The airport is also trying to increase awareness about placing liquids in a clear bag, separate from hand luggage, to reduce delays at security.

The announcement comes amid an air travel crisis which has seen thousands of flights cancelled or delayed.

Chief operating officer Adrian Witherow said: "With passenger numbers rapidly returning to 2019 levels, we expect to be busy, particularly at peak times such as weekends and the forthcoming school summer holidays.

"We are doing everything possible to make the airport process as smooth as possible, including recruiting and training hundreds of new security staff, many of whom have already started or will be in coming weeks."

Gatwick Airport has been affected by cancellations

Heathrow - the UK's busiest airport - recently introduced a cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until 11 September, and pleaded with carriers to stop selling summer tickets.

Staffing for ground handling teams at Heathrow is only at 70% of pre-pandemic levels, whereas passenger numbers are at 80% to 85%.

EasyJet announced this week it had recruited 350 new customer service staff and was opening a new call centre in Milan to help ease delays.

The airline will also be stationing head office staff in UK airports to provide additional support to passengers, and has introduced new interactive signage in airports.

It will also allow customers travelling on early-morning flights to drop hold baggage off the evening before they travel.