Airlines cancel dozens of flights AGAIN as desperate passengers arrive 12 HOURS early to airports amid travel chaos

A DESPERATE holidaymaker arrived at the airport 12 hours early to avoid the colossal queues at check-in and security.

The passenger didn't want to be caught out as thousands of families jetting off over the Easter break face huge wait times due to staff shortages.

And crossing the channel via ferry is no better - with P&O suspending all services to Calais until Good Friday.

Dover port is battling to get through the Easter holiday rush after P&O sacked 800 of it's workers - and has had to contend with bad weather.

One unnamed man, who was travelling from Coventry to Zimbabwe, got to Manchester Airport with half a day to spare.

He told : "I'm thinking if I come here nice and early I won’t have to deal with all that madness over there."

All three terminals have been plagued by queueing chaos since most schools broke up for Easter last week.

Travellers have complained of mammoth lines at check-in and severe delays through security as Covid leaves airports short on staff.

The mayhem got so bad on Friday, children were reportedly forced to pee in plastic bags while stuck for five hours.

While some people have managed to breeze through UK airports without worry, others have faced the total opposite.

Sharing a video of holidaymakers packed in like sardines at Heathrow, Tamlyn Worrall said: "Total carnage."

The problems have pushed several airlines to cancel huge numbers of flights.

British Airways has axed 84 flights so far today, while easyJet has grounded at least 38 from London Gatwick alone - both citing staff shortages caused by sickness.

Up to 20,000 passengers flying domestically and abroad could be affected.

Elsewhere, passengers were forced to queue outside the terminal at Dublin Airport at 4am as it continued to struggle with security staff shortages.

There were "massive, massive, massive" queues at security at Leeds Bradford "from one end of the airport to the other".

And headteacher Paul Haigh described his experience at Manchester Airport as "dire both ways".

Train cancellations in the Gatwick area and closures on the M4 around Berkshire and Greater London have also added to the stress.

Mark Gower said on Twitter: "One of the busiest times of the year for
Heathrow Airport and the Highways Agency decides to close the M4 between M25 and J3.

"Incompetence beyond belief by whoever plans these works."