Delayed and cancelled flights from Leeds Bradford Airport as holidaymakers detail 'theme park' style queues

Travellers have been left queuing out of the terminal building in recent months as security personnel worked to get people through.

It comes as airports across the country struggle to deal with the rise a rise in passenger numbers with most returning to pre-pandemic levels.

With many staff having been let go at the height of the pandemic airports are now in a race against time to hire and train up new staff.

"4am at Leeds Bradford airport and the queue for security is snaking. Been in the queue nearly an hour now and no where near departures." tweeted one flyer.

While others detailed 'theme park' style queues with a 'man with a megaphone' pulling passengers out as their flight neared.

Despite the continued queues chaos however new figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) show the airport performs comparably well next to its rivals.

Figures show a total of 466 flights (15.3 per cent) faced delays at LBA in the three months to the end of March.

While an increase on numbers recorded over the same period in 2019 this is markedly better than nearby Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which ranked as the worst in the UK with 27 per cent of flights running at least 15 minutes late.

The figures also show that Leeds Bradford Airport had a flight cancellation rate for the first three months of this year, at 2.8 per cent.

While a 1.8 per cent increase on 2019 numbers it still fell someway short of Southampton Airport, which had the highest cancellation rate for the first three months of this year, at 6.2 per cent.

Leeds Bradford Airport continues to advise that passengers arrive three hours early but are confident that with new staff being recruited queueing times will soon return to normal.

LBA are recommending passengers:

Arrive early - Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport three hours prior to their flight departure time.

Prepare your carry-on baggage - Remove all large electronic devices, carry liquids and gels less than 100ml in a one litre zip lock bag.

Empty your pockets - Remove all items from pockets, remove any jackets or coats and remove any boots or high heeled shoes and put them and pocket contents through the x-ray machines.