GATWICK Airport has issued an apology after staff shortages continue to cause long delays for travellers.

Travellers complained of delays of up to four hours on Tuesday morning, with departure queues and luggage wait times causing frustration.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport apologised to a user on Twitter who described their experience as “horrible” and “grim”.

The spokesman tweeted: “Hi, we’re really sorry for any delay. We are operating a moving queue system and staff are working hard to process passengers as quickly as possible through Security Search.”

Pictures taken at the airport yesterday show people lining up waiting to be screened, with queues stretching for at least an hour.

Some EasyJet passengers flying yesterday received emails advising them to arrive and a half hours before their flight due to the prospect of delays.

The Argus: Holidaymakers travelling from Gatwick Airport are faced long delays to get through securityHolidaymakers travelling from Gatwick Airport are faced long delays to get through security

In an email seen by The Argus, the airline said: “There may be delays at the airport security control before your flight and we recommend that you arrive at Gatwick Airport two and a half hours before your flight time.

“Please have your bags ready before you go through security, making sure any liquids are in a see-through and resealable bag, and that electronic items are carried separately.”

Stand-up comedian Joanne McNally was among those stuck in the lines of travellers and said it was “so insanely long that I’m confident my passport will have expired by the time I get on the plane”.

A Gatwick spokesman said that passengers had been held back in a queueing system.

Passengers were reportedly experiencing similar delays at Manchester Airport this morning One Twitter user complained of a four-hour queue at the baggage reclaim carousels at Manchester.

A spokesman said: “We apologise to any passengers whose experience at Manchester Airport this morning was not how they would like it to be.

“As we continue to recover from the pandemic, we continue to advise customers there may be some times when security queues are longer than usual, which is why we advise people to arrive three hours before their flights.”