Biggest day since COVID as queues slow weekend getaway
Long queues have greeted tens of thousands of Australians flying off for a weekend getaway, with one airport expecting its busiest day since the pandemic hit.
Photo: AAP/Bianca De Marchi
Melbourne Airport expects more than 95,000 passengers expected to travel through on Friday.
There were long lines to check in for Virgin flights early on Friday morning, with several routes cancelled or delayed.
Passengers have been warned to plan ahead and arrive early as terminals are likely to be busy across the day.
“We’re advising passengers to arrive between one and two hours before a domestic flight and two to three hours before international flights to allow plenty of time for check-in and to clear security,” a Melbourne Airport spokesman said.
Long queues have also formed at Sydney Airport, with 80,000 passengers expected to travel on more than 700 flights scheduled to arrive and depart on Friday.
Staff shortages exacerbated by COVID-19 isolation rules led to chaos at airports including Sydney in the lead-up to Easter in April.
In Sydney, where more than 80,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport on Friday, queues began to build about 5am.
Travellers are being urged to arrive two hours before their domestic flights.
A Sydney Airport spokesperson said all security lanes at the airport were open and operating well and that crowds reflected “a typical busy day pre-COVID”.
The lines at security aren’t long … it’s moving really really well,” he said.
-AAP
