TEESSIDE AIRPORT has moved to reassure visitors amid congestion issues at facilities around the UK.
Dozens of UK flights were cancelled on Monday as airlines continue to struggle with staff shortages.
Affected UK routes were between London Heathrow and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle.
But bosses at Teesside Airport assured passengers that its services were not affected.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: “We’re looking forward to the start of our busiest summer for nearly a decade, but because we’ve spent the past year overhauling our terminal – that doesn’t mean there’ll be hefty queues!
“We’re offering the cheapest airport car parking in the North of England and you can get from your car to the bar or spa in a matter of minutes.
“Passing through security is smoother than ever with the latest technology and there’s lots to keep people occupied in departures, with new bars, shops and duty free.”
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British Airways, one of the airlines whose services have been among the most affected, decided last month it would reduce its schedule until the end of May to limit the need to cancel flights at short notice due to staff shortages.
It has focused on routes with multiple daily flights, meaning passengers can be offered alternative departures on the same day they booked.
EasyJet also cancelled at least 25 flights to or from Gatwick Airport, with its services at other airports also affected.
The low-cost carrier said cancellations are being made “in advance to give customers the ability to rebook on to alternative flights”.
There has been a surge in demand for flights as many families have travelled abroad for the school Easter holidays, which are the first since the UK’s coronavirus restrictions for international travellers were dropped.
Airlines have been keen to attract as many bookings as possible after suffering huge losses due to the virus crisis but are struggling to cope with staff shortages.
The issue is partly caused by difficulties finding new recruits and getting their security checks processed after thousands of jobs were cut during the pandemic. There are also high levels of coronavirus-related staff absences.
Yet all flights out of Teesside Airport remain in operation throughout the Easter holidays and into the future.
Mr Houchen added: “All our flights will be taking off as planned this Easter to popular holiday hotspots like Majorca, Faro and Alicante, with Corfu set to join them later this year.
“There’s global connectivity via Amsterdam Schiphol, and a great choice of city break locations too. Whether domestic or international, so you can fly through Teesside.”
Teesside Airport currently operates flights to the following destinations:
Palma, Majorca
Faro, Portugal
Alicante, Spain
Corfu, Greece
Bourgas, Bulgaria
London Heathrow, England
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Newquay, England
Antalya, Turkey
Jersey, Channel Islands
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Southampton, England
Aberdeen, Scotland
Enontekio (Northern Lights), Finland
Pajala (Lapland), Sweden
Lake Garda, Italy
Esbjerg, Denmark
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