Passengers have been accused of ignoring social distancing guidelines in chaotic scenes at UK airports ahead of one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
The turmoil was reported at Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow ahead of a busy travel period to coincide with the first week of the school summer holidays in many parts of the country.
There were long queues at check-in, security and passport control with concerns of over-crowding in terminals, according to Travel Weekly.
It said passengers at Heathrow were "packed like sardines."
It was claimed that some passengers were arriving seven or eight hours before take-off, fearing it will take longer to get through checks because of extra coronavirus safety rules.
Heathrow officials have advised passengers to arrive as normal – two hours before a European flight and three for long-haul journeys – to prevent crowding.
A passenger posted on Twitter: “Heathrow is a zoo. No social distancing. Why aren’t there 2m floor markings and proper queue managers ensuring passengers stay apart?”
Another traveller complained of a “horrendous queue for departures” at Gatwick, while another criticised “crowded and disorganised” events at Manchester.
Teacher Gillian Hatt and husband Richard, both 59, flew out from Manchester Airport's Terminal One to Kefalonia on Wednesday.
They contacted the Manchester Evening News to share their departure lounge experience, which they describe as 'crowded and disorganised'.
Mrs Hatt said: “They kept sending messages over the loud speaker about social distancing but didn’t provide the means for passengers to do that because of the amount of areas blocked off.
"There were only about seven flights leaving the terminal. What’s it going to be like when there are more?”
Manchester Airport responded: "We want to assure all our passengers that safety and security is our number one priority.
"A wide range of additional safety measures have been introduced at Manchester Airport, in line with official guidance and following a series of successful trials.
"These include a requirement to wear face coverings across our site, asking only travelling passengers to enter the terminals, an enhanced cleaning regime and the installation of protective screens in key locations.
"These measures have been communicated as much as possible through media, social media, advertising and within the airport itself."
A Heathrow spokesman told Travel Weekly: “We are aware that some passengers are arriving several hours in advance of their flights which is not necessary and is causing some congestion issues.
“To prevent this, passengers are advised to arrive no earlier than two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours for long-haul journeys.
“Our teams are on hand to support where possible, but we recognise that there are points in the journey where social distancing is not always possible. That is why face coverings are mandatory in terminals, as they help to reduce the risk of transmission at the airport.”
