HOLIDAYMAKERS faced travel chaos today after being forced to queue for hours at Heathrow Airport.
Passengers returning from amber list countries were left frustrated after many missed their pre-booked taxi or coaches due to the delays on the airport’s busiest day of the year.
Travellers also said they had to wait for up to three hours after the e-gates broke down, slowing down the process even more.
Additionally, there are no London Underground trains from Heathrow terminals over the weekend due to engineering works which meant a number of passengers had to take a replacement bus service to Hammersmith.
Ryan Marshall, 30, who lives in France and is visiting the UK for a wedding told the Daily Mail it took him three hours to go through passport control.
Another passenger, Mr Marshall, told the outlet those at the back of the passport control had to wait ”hours and hours” as there was only one person at the desk.
He said: ”I’ve been in the Alps for 10 years, but I’m here for my mate’s wedding. It only got busy after we landed, but the people at the back of the queue were going to be waiting for hours and hours.
”Then the machines at passport control broke and there was only one person on the desk checking everyone’s passports.
”My flight landed at 7:30am and it’s now 10:00am, so it’s taken me almost three hours to come through. I’ve now missed my coach so have to get the underground into London and then get a train down to Bournemouth.
”That doesn’t make any sense to me because I’m supposed to be quarantining. When I booked a day five test in Boots, they said there weren’t any available, so come in on day 4 instead – it’s ridiculous. I’m supposed to be going back in three weeks’ time, but the rules keep changing so I might have to cut it short.
”Going on a stag-do and to a wedding has turned into a month-long trip. It’s put me off coming back to England again.”
Photos taken at Heathrow Airport this morning show large crowds patiently queueing at the check-in desks, waiting to jet off to a holiday destination.
It comes as thousands of Brits are eager for a much-deserved getaway in a bid to escape the pingdemic which saw over a million Brits being pinged in a week and storm chaos.
This weekend is set to be Heathrow’s busiest time as the airport said it was expecting to welcome about 128,000 passengers.
CEO John Holland-Kaye said: “This weekend is set to be one of the busiest of the year so far. We’re thrilled to see the terminals coming to life again, with most of the shops and restaurants now reopened.
“We have additional colleagues on hand to ensure our passengers have a smooth journey as they take well-deserved breaks or travel abroad for long-awaited reunions with loved ones.”
Gatwick Airport said it expects to see around 250 to 260 flights and between 25,000 to 27,000 passengers a day over the weekend.
The most popular foreign destination is Spain, with between 60 and 70 flights a day, followed by Greece with around 30 flights a day.
Similarly, Manchester Airports Group said it is expecting 958 flights at Manchester Airport from Friday to Monday, 224 at East Midlands Airport and 1,330 at London Stansted.
A spokesman said: “After what has been the most challenging year in our history, it is encouraging finally to start seeing some passengers return to our terminals.
“Allowing fully vaccinated travellers to visit amber list countries without quarantining on return has been an important step forward, opening up many more destinations for a well-deserved summer holiday.
“This increase in passengers is an encouraging but tentative step towards recovery, with volumes still significantly lower than they were before the pandemic.”
Currently, those returning from a green list country are not required to self-isolate.
Popular holiday hotspots such as Spain, Italy and Greece remain on the amber list which means travellers returning from there must quarantine at home for 10 days unless they are double jabbed.
However an analysis revealed that nearly six million Britons might see their holiday plans ruined if Spain and Greece join France onto the “amber plus” list requiring isolation on return.
Earlier this month the government announced that double-jabbed Brits will be able to avoid the 10-day quarantine when returning from amber list countries.
But thousands of holidaymakers had to cancel their trip after the last-minute amber list quarantine rule announcement which sees double jabbed Brits required to quarantine for 10 days when returning from France, amid concern over the spread of the Beta coronavirus variant.
And now fears that Spain and Greece might also join France on the ”amber list plus” have been sparked.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: “Not only have they failed to protect our borders, allowing Covid cases to rocket – they also refuse to be straight with the public and give them the information they need to book travel with confidence, with clear information on the direction of travel of infections in each country.
“Families who have booked holidays in good faith now risk losing out – 10-day quarantine is simply not an option for many people who are already struggling financially thanks to the pandemic.”
