Gatwick Airport has requested passengers pay more attention to security rules before their flights to ease disruption in its terminals.
The West Sussex airport, south of London, said it has hired 400 new security staff in recent weeks to help ease queues.
Bosses said more staff are being recruited in a move aimed at reducing pressure on the airport as it goes into the busy English school summer holiday period next week.
Gatwick, Britain's second-busiest airport, is also trying to increase awareness about placing liquids in a clear bag, separate from hand luggage, to reduce delays at security.
Chief operating officer Adrian Witherow said: “With passenger numbers rapidly returning to 2019 levels, we expect to be busy, particularly at peak times such as weekends and the forthcoming school summer holidays.
“We are doing everything possible to make the airport process as smooth as possible, including recruiting and training hundreds of new security staff, many of whom have already started or will be in coming weeks.
“It’s also important, however, that we do what we can to help passengers prepare for security before reaching the trays.
“We understand many already do this, but, by publishing the list of top items that are currently being forgotten, we hope to get even more people through airport security quickly, so they can go on and relax before their flight, enjoy a drink or sit down for a meal.”
The announcement comes amid an air travel crisis which has seen thousands of flights cancelled and many passengers forced to wait for several hours in queues.
Passengers have also been left without their luggage, due to shortages of baggage handlers.
Travel chaos at UK airports – in pictures
Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, recently introduced a cap of 100,000 daily departing passengers until September 11, and pleaded with carriers to stop selling summer tickets.
However, The Telegraph reported that it has seen a letter from Mark Powell, Heathrow’s director of operational planning, which said a cap of 1,200 aircraft arriving and departing per day could last until October 29.
Many passengers at Heathrow have suffered severe disruption in recent months, with long security queues and baggage system breakdowns.
Staffing for ground handling teams at Heathrow are only at 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, whereas passenger numbers are at 80 per cent to 85 per cent.
Heathrow chairman Lord Paul Deighton this week blamed “slasher” airlines for failing to recruit enough staff to cope with passenger demand.
EasyJet announced this week that it has recruited 350 new customer service staff and is opening a new call centre in Milan to help ease delays.
The airline will also be stationing head office staff in UK airports to provide additional support to passengers, and has introduced new interactive signage in airports.
It will also allow customers travelling on early-morning flights to drop hold baggage off the evening before they travel.
Chief executive Johan Lundgren said the low-cost airline had stabilised it flight operations after cutting its summer schedule last month, but melting runways and air traffic control restrictions were not helping during a “challenging summer”.
He said easyJet's daily operations were back to pre-pandemic levels after the cuts, which followed caps on capacity at Gatwick and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
“We can't help if runways are closed down because they're melting, we have help if air traffic control puts restrictions into the flow system,” Mr Lundgren said at the Farnborough International Airshow on Tuesday.
“But the things that actually are within our control, that's been stabilised.”
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Syria squad
Goalkeepers: Ibrahim Alma, Mahmoud Al Youssef, Ahmad Madania.
Defenders: Ahmad Al Salih, Moayad Ajan, Jehad Al Baour, Omar Midani, Amro Jenyat, Hussein Jwayed, Nadim Sabagh, Abdul Malek Anezan.
Midfielders: Mahmoud Al Mawas, Mohammed Osman, Osama Omari, Tamer Haj Mohamad, Ahmad Ashkar, Youssef Kalfa, Zaher Midani, Khaled Al Mobayed, Fahd Youssef.
Forwards: Omar Khribin, Omar Al Somah, Mardik Mardikian.