Hundreds of new staff have been hired by Manchester Airport in an effort to ease the on-going travel chaos at the transport hub.
More than 1,600 people applied for jobs at the airport in April while 500 new recruits are currently going through security training and vetting processes.
A total of 60 new starters joined last month, with a further 200 expected to join in May.
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The new hires come after the airport has faced fierce criticism in recent months over long delays and missed flights because of short staffing.
The issues also saw the resignation of managing director Karen Smart at the start of April.
Queues inside Manchester Airport on Friday, April 29 (Image: Paul Keegan)Manchester Airport also confirmed that to date, more than 8,000 applications have been received for roles including security officers, car park marshals and hospitality staff.
It added that 90% of passengers in the last two weeks getting through security in less than 30 minutes, up from 78% in the first two weeks of April.
Interim managing director Ian Costigan said: “We want to make sure that customers get away on their travels, so everyone at Manchester Airport is focused on bringing in the extra resources we need to continue operating our full flight schedule.
“It is encouraging to see new staff joining us as a result of our ongoing recruitment drive, and we have seen security waiting times reduce in recent weeks.
Long queues at Manchester Airport on Monday morning (May 2) (Image: Andy Clarke/Twitter)“The last few weeks have been challenging but the team on the ground has done a great job in getting passengers through security more quickly, and I would like to thank all colleagues for their hard work and dedication.
“As we continue to recover, we are reminding customers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight and to ensure they are familiar with all security rules.
“While the majority of people will get through security in less than 30 minutes, customers need to allow time for check-in and the possibility that security queues may be longer at peak times.
“All of these things will help passengers move through the airport quickly and easily, which is our ultimate goal.”
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