Manchester airport director quits after passengers miss flights due to long queue chaos
Manchester Airport’s director has quit her role after eight years, following mounting criticism over chaos with queuing.
Karen Smart left on Tuesday after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said emergency services could be drafted in to deal with the mayhem.
Long queues developed over the past month due to lengthy security checks, which led to some passengers missing their flights. There are also reports people having to queue outside in a car park.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) had apologised for the delays citing staff and recruitment shortages in wake of the pandemic.
Smart, who joined MAG eight years ago became its managing director two years ago at the start of the pandemic.
The group announced that Ian Costigan would take on the role on an interim basis, while its chief executive Charlie Cornish, praised Smart for having “guided Manchester Airport through the most challenging period of its 84-year history”.
He said he was “sorry to lose Karen after her years of valuable service”.
Unions and airport management are supposed to meet soon to discuss the chaos, with Burnham saying he “would be seeking reassurances about what was being done to bring the situation under control.”