UK airlines warn of border chaos at Easter
Airlines claim airports could be gridlocked during Easter as passport checks are stepped up without enough staff to deal with them.
Eleven major airlines, including British Airways, Virgin, bmi and easyJet have written to Home Secretary Theresa May expressing their concern.
They say the problem had been exacerbated by a return to 100% passport checks at a time while border staff numbers had been cut.
The British Air Transport Association (BATA), who issued the letter on behalf of the airlines, says UK Border Agency staff levels have been cut by 25%.
Virgin has sent a separate memo saying airport operation will be at risk as delayed passengers fill airport terminals, reports the Daily Mail.
It said: "At peak travel periods, such as the Easter holidays, there is a very real chance of gridlock at UK airports.
"The UK Border Force has been streamlined in recent years with 25 per cent fewer border officers and an increasing emphasis on technology such as passenger e-gates. We fear that this level of resource is incompatible with a return to 100 per cent checks and if left unaddressed will cause congestion at UK airports.
A UK Border Force spokesman said: "We’re working with airlines to ensure security is maintained and disruption is minimised. There is no evidence that there is going to be disruption."
The UK Border Agency was split in two in March after a row over the fact hundreds of thousands of people were allowed to enter the UK without being checked against a Home office watch list.
Diane
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