Airport apology over long security queues

Belfast International Airport has apologised again for lengthy queues leading up to security.
Queues at Belfast International Airport. Photograph posted by former MLA Pat Ramsey on FacebookQueues at Belfast International Airport. Photograph posted by former MLA Pat Ramsey on Facebook
Queues at Belfast International Airport. Photograph posted by former MLA Pat Ramsey on Facebook

There were huge queues at the airport on Thursday night, with many passengers taking to Twitter to express anger.

UUP MLA Steve Aiken told the News Letter that the airport has “obviously got an issue with security” (see story below).

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Passenger Lorraine Herbison wrote on social media: “Getting through security is such a shambles. They’re queuing for at least 800m almost all the way down to the front door.”

BBC News reporter Thomas Niblock wrote on Twitter that he had “paid a higher fare” on a recent trip to London so he would not “have to fly out of Belfast International”.

Former Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey branded the long queues a “disgrace”.

An airport spokesperson said: “Belfast International Airport acknowledges the frustration expressed by some passengers over the length of time it took them to process through Central Search.

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“We would like to apologise to them for the delays they experienced and assure them that we take their comments and complaints seriously.”

The airport said its security provider, Wilson James, is “making strenuous efforts to cope as efficiently as possible with passenger volumes” and is “actively recruiting more staff”.

“We would like to reassure our passengers that we are making headway in addressing the challenges at Central Search.”

The airport said it still advises people to arrive two hours earlier than usual due to the delays.

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Mr Aiken added: “There are obviously substantial issues around security. It needs to be worked on and it needs to be worked on now.”