Airlines have been urged by the aviation regulator to set “deliverable” schedules after thousands of UK flights were cancelled in recent days due to staff shortages.

Civil Aviation Authority chief executive Richard Moriarty warned that late-notice cancellations and excessive delays are “not just distressing for affected consumers but have the potential to impact confidence levels across the industry”.

It came as Manchester Airport warned passengers to expect queues of up to 90 minutes due to staffing issues. Charlie Cornish, chief executive of owner Manchester Airports Group, urged departing travellers to arrive three hours before their flight to avoid missing it.

In a letter to airlines, Mr Moriarty acknowledged that many are in the process of recruiting large numbers of staff but “it is clear that this has not always happened sufficiently quickly to cope with the increased passenger travel”. 

He wrote: “Given the consequences for passengers of cancelled and disrupted journeys, I encourage you to do all you can to ensure that you have the necessary level of appropriatelytrained and cleared staff resources in place.”

READ MORE: Probe finds train cracks caused by movement and corrosion

It is “very important” that airlines are setting schedules “on a basis that is deliverable given available staff (including contractors), and has resilience for staff sickness, including from Covid”, Mr Moriarty added.

British Airways and easyJet have recently cancelled a total of more than 100 daily flights. This has been blamed on a combination of coronavirus-related staff sickness and recruitment difficulties.

Mr Moriarty also wrote to airports, calling on them to “work closely with airlines” to ensure “disruption is kept to a minimum”. He sought “reassurance” that passengers with reduced mobility “continue to receive the assistance that they require”.

Passengers at Manchester, Heathrow and Birmingham Airports have all complained of long queues. Mr Cornish admitted Manchester Airport, which has struggled for several weeks, does not have enough staff.

He said: “The simple fact is that we don’t currently have the number of staff we need to provide the level of service that our passengers deserve.

“Despite our efforts since last autumn, the tight labour market around the airport has meant we have just not been able to hire people quickly enough to establish a full-strength team.

“Practically, staff shortages mean that we cannot open all the security lanes we need and, at times, this results in longer queues than we want to see.

READ MORE: TransPennine Express warnes of travel disruption over Easter weekend

“While we still expect most passengers to get through in less than 30-40 minutes, there will be times over the next few months when waiting times will rise to between 60 and 90 minutes.

“We understand that people will feel anxious about missing their flights when they see queues of this length.

“So for now, we are advising passengers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight leaves, to allow enough time to check-in, get through security and reach the departure gate.”

The chief executive said the airport is facing “one of the most challenging employment markets we have seen”, with more than half of the candidates offered jobs finding vacancies elsewhere before the aviation vetting process is completed.

But the airport does expect around 250 new security staff to begin work by early May.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he warned the aviation sector to “be careful” about cutting jobs during the coronavirus pandemic as demand for travel would “come back again”. Asked about whether security checks for new recruits can be completed faster, he said: “We can’t take shortcuts on security.”