MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Heathrow chaos: Huge crowds overwhelm understaffed airport

Prepare for lines when you fly from London Heathrow

Some Heathrow passengers were reporting absolutely absurd queue times due to a Border Force staff shortage which kept travelers waiting in lines for five hours.

Border Force staff shortage at London’s Heathrow Airport resulted to enormous lines and complete lack of any social distancing this week, as the limited number of personnel were unable to cope with those at the border.

Airline passengers at Heathrow Airport have repeatedly experienced such conditions since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this Friday, some Brits were reporting absolutely absurd queue times due to a Border Force staff shortage which kept travelers waiting in lines for FIVE hours.

One passenger even reportedly fainted during the chaos.

Heathrow Airport responded to complaints by claiming that the delays were due to Border Force conducting “Health Measure Checks to ensure passenger compliance with the UK Government’s latest entry requirements.”

The airport did not address the lack of social distancing and lengthy, packed queues, however, which posed a coronavirus risk to thousands of airline passengers.

On Saturday morning, travelers at Terminal 5 reported on social media that the queues had died down.

According to local media, at least eight other incidents of long queues, crammed crowds, and a lack of access to water and bathroom facilities have been recorded between May and September.

In December 2020 – just days before Christmas – hundreds of passengers were left stranded at Heathrow Airport as flights became overbooked with Brits trying to escape recently-announced Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, which forced families to stay at home and away from loved ones over the holiday season. (Source H. Johnson eTN)