Staff security checks sped up to address 'disaster movie' scenes in airports
03.07.2022 - 12:03
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The Government is stepping in to reduce disruption at airports with passengers saying they look like scenes from 'a disaster movie' according to customers. Manchester Airport has been the point of criticism for months but trouble at airports has been reported across the country.
Ministers battling to dampen the chaos at airports claim security tests for new workers are being completed in record times. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is trying to alleviate flight disruption this summer to avert the mayhem seen over the Easter and Jubilee holidays.
Shortages of staff to handle baggage and carry out security checks such as X-rays are fuelling long queues and delays at UK airports. The Government has ordered the vetting centre to prioritise checks for airports so new recruits can help plug the gaps quicker.
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The Department of Transport (DfT) said counter-terrorist checks for aviation workers are now being processed on average in under 10 days – half March’s time. Transport Secretary Grant ShappsTransport Secretary Grant Shapps (PA)
Accreditation checks are also being sped up to be completed within five days on average, according to the department.
But in the short term, the staffing shortages appear to be hitting Heathrow airport. Passenger Adam Kent, 59, said baggage reclaim “looked like a scene from a disaster movie” after arriving at Terminal 3 from Orlando, Florida.
“(There was) lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts, everyone stepping over it and no-one doing anything about it,” Mr Kent, from Worcestershire, told the PA news agency.
“Being brutally honest, it looks like a serious