Gogglebox stars Tom and Julie Malone have told fans of their eventful flight back to Manchester Airport after jetting off to Dublin this weekend for a mini-break.
05.04.2022 - 21:39 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The boss of Manchester Airport has quit amid a growing backlash over long passenger queues, staff shortages and calls from city leaders for management to 'get a grip' of the growing crisis.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which owns Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports has confirmed this afternoon that Karen Smart has decided to leave the business after eight years.
Karen, who took on the Managing Director role at the start of the pandemic, has navigated the hub through the impacts of Covid-19, and has also led the start of its controversial recovery.
READ MORE: "It's out of our hands": I flew from Manchester Airport to Dublin this morning
It follows a turbulent few months for the hub amid a surge of passengers after the Government's lifting of restrictions. Following a raft of redundancies during Covid and as bosses scramble to recruit staff to deal with growing demand, it's resulted in 'chaos' across the hub's departments, including airport-run areas like Security, as well as agency-managed processes like baggage handling.
This week, the resulting backlash from passengers led Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer to challenge management to ‘get a grip or get out’.
But in a statement, Manchester Airport said Karen had decided to return to the south of England, where her family is based, to 'pursue fresh career opportunities'. MAG has also announced that Ian Costigan will take on the role of Interim Managing Director and will be in charge of the recruitment drive said to be at the heart of solving the ongoing issues ahead of the summer.
Since joining MAG in 2013, Ian has held a number of senior positions in the business, including his most recent position of Group Transformation Director. Ian will
Gogglebox stars Tom and Julie Malone have told fans of their eventful flight back to Manchester Airport after jetting off to Dublin this weekend for a mini-break.
Nestled down a residential lane close to Manchester Airport, this is the farm shop with tearooms and huge play areas for kids that has become a firm family favourite for days out. Nixons Farm Shop in Heald Green has expanded in recent years to offer a range of attractions for shoppers and families alike.
Manchester Airport's Terminal Three will fully reopen this week to meet demand which has led to huge queues, delays and misery for passengers over recent months. Terminal Three, which was closed during the pandemic, has been partially reopen since March 27 for some arriving passengers, but will reopen fully on Friday (April 22).
Airport bosses have apologised as passengers faced delays on 'Manic Monday'. Holidaymakers using Manchester Airport were met with queues of up to 90 minutes through security on the last day of the Easter bank holiday.
A mum has told of her nightmare after her family's suitcase which had 'everything in' failed to show up in Ibiza after catching a flight from Manchester Airport. Lucy Taylor, 33, her partner Adam and two children, aged one and four, boarded a Ryanair flight to the island yesterday morning (Thursday).
Shocking footage shows hundreds of Ryanair passengers sandwiched together inside a departures gate with 'no ventilation' at Manchester Airport. Holidaymakers travelling from the airport's Terminal Three on Tuesday (April 12) were reportedly left standing for an hour and a half after four flights scheduled to leave from the same gate at a similar time were delayed.
Chaotic scenes have been reported at Manchester Airport this morning as the ongoing Easter travel disruption continues. Passengers attempting to get away for the bank holiday weekend have been met with snaking queues and heavy delays all week.
Passengers flying from Manchester Airport have been hit by more delays this morning as travellers reported 90-minute wait times for security and queues reaching the terminal's car park.
A local travel agent office has offered holidaymakers advice for jetting off from Manchester Airport amidst the chaos after some airlines started offering "twilight check-in".
A family missed their Barcelona flight to celebrate a Ruby wedding anniversary due to Manchester Airport queues - and say they had to fork out £614 for new tickets to salvage their trip. Mike Turner, 41, had travelled to the hub from Stockport with his husband Luke Hartbottle and parents Tom and Marie Turner, on a special holiday to celebrate 40 years since their marriage. The easyJet tickets, he says, had set him back around £630.
If you’re flying from Manchester and driving to the airport is the best option for you then it’s important to be aware of how much parking costs. There are different options available depending on whether you plan to leave your car at the airport during your holiday, or if you’re going to be getting a lift with a friend or relative.
Hundreds of suitcases have been pictured piled up at Manchester Airport as passengers again raise security concerns. The airport has been plagued with problems in recent weeks with a staffing crisis and a resurgence in international travel following the pandemic.
Manchester Airport has seen an increasing number of problems over the past few weeks, and we want to hear your views on it in our survey.
A family who missed their flight due to the Manchester Airport queueing chaos still weren't allowed to board when their plane turned back due to a medical emergency.
When I returned to Manchester Airport’s Terminal 1 today with a bag to check in I was expecting the worst. With the airport boss quitting yesterday after daily pictures and stories of mayhem, I was not hopeful in having a smooth journey to Malaga in the south of Spain.
Police and transport staff will be parachuted in to help Manchester Airport, while passengers will get real time online queuing information and the option to check-in their bags the night before their flight as part of a new action plan to solve a staffing crisis.
Easter marks the first school holiday in the UK where there have been no coronavirus travel restrictions. Holiday bookings abroad have boomed as Brits make the most of finally enjoying a family getaway.
Baggage handler Swissport has said sorry to Manchester Airport customers over 'frustrating and inconvenient' luggage delays after flights. Passengers have faced long delays waiting for their bags to be placed on carousels in the airport's baggage reclaim halls - leading to many deciding to walk out and collect their cases later from lost property.