Exhausted baggage handlers facing mountains of luggage described Manchester Airport as "f****** chaos".
Earlier this year, Britain's airports were beset with cancellations, baggage chaos and delays. With the annual school summer holidays now in full swing, Dispatches went undercover inside Manchester Airport to reveal the truth about what goes on behind the scenes.
Reporter Jane Moore met travellers whose holidays have already been ruined by the meltdown at British airports, and spoke to insiders and experts to investigate the cause of the chaos and what can be done to improve matters.
READ MORE: Desperate Manchester Airport passengers spotted crawling through baggage hatch
As part of the documentary, Dispatches sent a reporter undercover to work as a baggage handler with Swissport. Shocking footage revealed passengers crawling through conveyor belts in a bid to get their bags and stressed staff complaining about working conditions.
In one clip, taken at Manchester Airport on July 1, the undercover reporter saw a member of staff struggling in the handling area. The man was tasked with loading bags from check-in onto the correct flight.
It's critical the right bags get to the right aircraft on time or the flight will be delayed. During his shift, the undercover reporter is told to help the baggage handler.
Asked about the chaotic scenes, the staff member said: "Just literally no staff, mate it is s***." Footage then showed large amounts of luggage coming through on a single belt.
Some bags had fallen off the belt and were lying on the floor. The baggage handler said: "I give up mate. I have just had enough already. It's meant to be a two man job. They've put me on my own. That's why I'm annoyed. Just ignore me, I'm just annoyed."
Some passengers, who were flying to Istanbul, had connecting flights, meaning if their bags weren't put in the right container, they risked getting lost - something which the baggage handler conceded to.
He said: "Trust me, this one's failed a little bit, trust me. I thought to myself, you know what, f*** them. Bang.
"Don't give a f*** mate. Bang, f*** them."
Another baggage handler was overheard describing working at Manchester Airport as "f****** chaos."
Swissport told Dispatches it was sorry for its part in the disruption some people have experienced at Manchester Airport. It said it is doing everything it can to mitigate delays for passengers, including hiring more than 4,100 people since January.
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