Chaos in airports


Flying to Mallorca this week. Been keeping an eye on Newcastle airport departures the last couple of days and not many flights taking off on time by the looks of it.
 
Recruitment consultant for the airports has just been on 5Live. Put the blame fairly and squarely on Brexit and the lack of an available, flexible workforce.

Certainly a major factor - lots of EU workers went home and new ones cannot easily move here now - though the lingering effects of COVID making people take time off haven't helped plus the time it takes to get new staff through security clearance
 
Sky News was on in a bar I was in this morning, I don’t normally watch it, they just love misery, stop watching the news is my advice to everyone, ignorance is bliss.

It also keeps you away from the idiots in here, two birds and all that.

A bit late leaving Newcastle yesterday, would’ve only landed 15 minutes late if we hadn’t had to circle for a landing spot.
This.
Media making this much much worse imo.
Im (only) 41, but its as if theres never been delayed flights, or queues to get thru security:?:
Then media ramp it up and stupid tw*ts are turning up hours early for flights causing the problems - I mean dropping your bags off the night before, how does that help the overall situation??
 
Certainly a major factor - lots of EU workers went home and new ones cannot easily move here now - though the lingering effects of COVID making people take time off haven't helped plus the time it takes to get new staff through security clearance
Are the wages too low to tempt those not working to take up employment ?
 
Are the wages too low to tempt those not working to take up employment ?

More likely the unsociable hours and job insecurity. Anyone who previously worked in an airport will have easily found jobs elsewhere as they will have good customer services skills and security clearance. With freedom of movement gone and unemployment still at a relatively low rate there just isn't a pool of non-workers sitting around waiting for the opportunity of starting work at an airport at 4am each day.
 
More likely the unsociable hours and job insecurity. Anyone who previously worked in an airport will have easily found jobs elsewhere as they will have good customer services skills and security clearance. With freedom of movement gone and unemployment still at a relatively low rate there just isn't a pool of non-workers sitting around waiting for the opportunity of starting work at an airport at 4am each day.
A job with low pay, unsocial hours and job insecurity. Who wouldn't be jumping at the chance?
 
A job with low pay, unsocial hours and job insecurity. Who wouldn't be jumping at the chance?

The pay isn't that bad compared to other similar roles. £12/hr for security staff at Manchester: Security Job - it's more the "shifts starting at 3am" part, UK residence and the security/medical checks required.
 
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Flying to Mallorca this week. Been keeping an eye on Newcastle airport departures the last couple of days and not many flights taking off on time by the looks of it.

It’s not just the issues at Newcastle you need worry about, airports across Europe are having similar problems.
The aircraft taking you to Mallorca may still be sitting in Alicante as you check in and buy your first pint.
 
It’s not just the issues at Newcastle you need worry about, airports across Europe are having similar problems.
The aircraft taking you to Mallorca may still be sitting in Alicante as you check in and buy your first pint.
aye its europe wide
 
This.
Media making this much much worse imo.
Im (only) 41, but its as if theres never been delayed flights, or queues to get thru security:?:
Then media ramp it up and stupid tw*ts are turning up hours early for flights causing the problems - I mean dropping your bags off the night before, how does that help the overall situation??

Bag drops the night before have been a thing for ages, it’s mainly for people who have travelled to the area to fly and are just staying in an airport hotel.

It reduces the queue on the day at the checkin desk and means they can just go straight through to security.

I think part of the issue is because of the media hyateria you have people turning up hours before they normally would and it’s creating bottlenecks at peak times.

The whole country runs on just in time production/delivery and the slightest variances can throw things off. Staff shortages obviously aren’t helping either.
 
We flew out of Newcastle to Toronto, via T5, last Wednesday. Back yesterday. No issues. Flight to Heathrow was 20 minutes late. Airports were busy but no real bother.
I go back to Houston on Tuesday. They can cancel those flights and get no complaints from me. 😁
 
Parents flew out to Venice from Gatwick this morning (bought the fast track queue tickets £5) said it took them 20 minutes to get through security in the end, still turned up 4 hours earlier just to be safe, said it was rammed in the terminal bit with shops etc.
 
Based on the flight I’ve just got on the problem isn’t the staffing or the airports.

It’s the absolutely thick as fuck people who get on planes.
Just seen one daft arsehole walk from the front door to the back and then realise he is in row 2
 

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