‘Delays, delays, delays’: Airports, airlines brace for Easter travel chaos

Victorians planning to fly interstate over the Easter break have been warned to expect a blow-out in airport delays and wait times, particularly with Qantas, as huge passenger volumes clash with a shortage of baggage handlers.

Melbourne Airport, under pressure from travellers flocking to see the Grand Prix race this weekend, is operating at 107 per cent capacity compared to April 2019 and is warning passengers to arrive two hours ahead of departure.

Airlines and airports are bracing for the busiest Easter travel period since before the pandemic.Credit: Craig Abraham

“[Friday was] the busiest day at Melbourne Airport in more than two years,” a spokesperson said. “We expect a number of similar days over the coming few weeks.”

Processing times will be even longer than usual, with lengthy queues expected for check-in and security.

For Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, the Easter weekend will be the busiest since before the pandemic. The airlines will fly tens of thousands of guests over this period.

Virgin Australia issued a similar warning about lengthy wait times. “The sudden increase in travellers and workforce challenges related to the pandemic will likely lead to travellers experiencing longer than usual queues,” it said.

“Follow the advice of airports and arrive two hours ahead of scheduled departure, and use online check-in.”

Delays at Qantas are expected to be longer than that of other airlines, according to Mem Suleyman, assistant branch secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) Victoria/Tasmania.

In late 2020, Qantas sacked 2,000 ground crew workers, including baggage handlers, aircraft towing crews, cleaners and more, and announced it would replace all of them with outsourced contractors. But the Federal Court later ruled the move as unlawful and Qantas is now facing a fine.

The assistant branch secretary said the ‘Flying Kangaroo’ is now struggling to find efficient ground crew workers.

“When your experienced workforce has been sacked and they don’t want to work for low rates of pay, you have naturally a shortage of staff,” Mr Suleyman told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is hearing calls from shareholders and customers.Credit: AFR

He said he had spoken to workers on the ground who were feeling “lost” having just “walk[ed] into a job they don’t know how to do”.

“They don’t have trainers because they’ve lost the trainers too.”

A baggage handler’s job was not as easy as merely throwing luggage in a van, and required knowledge and experience in loading and unloading an aircraft, he added. “Couple that with an increase in people looking to fly again and losing that dedicated staff, it’s a very bad cocktail [of factors].

“I think it means delays, delays, and delays.”

“[Other airlines] will have some delays. But it won’t be anywhere near the magnitude of what Qantas is facing.”

Speaking on Friday, Qantas chief Alan Joyce asked for patience amid high levels of staff absenteeism due to COVID isolation and said the airline was hoping to keep flight cancellations to a minimum.

“We’re getting people to their destination. It may be delayed, but we are getting them there. And that’s what we believe will happen over Easter,” he said.

“But obviously, we need people’s assistance and help and given extra time to go to the airport facilities.”

Sydney Airport issued an apology to thousands of passengers who stood for hours in long, snaking queues at the terminal on Wednesday and Thursday.

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