We jest, but these are bizarre times indeed. Following temperatures so sweltering this week that they managed to melt a runway at London's Luton Airport (LTN) yesterday and halt flights, officials at Manchester International Airport (MAN) are sounding a heat wave warning of their own.
The U.K.’s fourth-busiest air hub has informed passengers that they should arrive no more than three hours before their flight due to the sticky climate.
Even at the worst of the Easter weekend chaos, the airport never suggested a specific time of arrival. It instead asked customers to arrive at the earliest time their airline recommends — “normally the time check-in for their flight opens.”
But now, with air travel quite literally heating up while hundreds of thousands of vacation goers try to get away for a summer break, the airport is eager to avoid any extra bottlenecking and panic that might come from the adverse weather.
It’s been far from a straightforward 2022 for Manchester airport, which is still groggily getting back to its knees following the pandemic and then the increased traffic since COVID-19 restrictions were dropped.
Related: Summer of strikes? European labor action already disrupting travel
During the worst of it, MAN bosses have seen drama from terminal to tarmac, including the moment police were called to help TUI passengers abandoned for three hours inside a plane.
To help nip trouble in the bud before it starts, officials have also advised passengers with carry-on bags to pack light if they want to have a speedier experience going through security. This comes as part of a new “Take time, take care” campaign designed to minimize travel disruptions.
Other tips provided for passengers include brushing up on the basic rules at security — following the prescribed liquid allowances, putting containers of liquids in plastic bags and ensuring all sizeable electrical devices are put flat in their own tray — to keep from holding up their fellow travelers.
The last thing the airport wants is more Armageddon-like scenes going viral on the internet, as we witnessed over the Easter and Jubilee breaks.
The new guidance also reminds travelers that they can take empty water bottles through security and fill them up at water fountains on the other side in order to stay hydrated before (and during) their flight.
Related: Travelers in Europe see record-breaking heat as UK officials urge caution
A spokesperson for the airport previously told TPG that the airport has solved much of its staffing crisis and now thinks it’s got everything in place to deliver its biggest summer on record.
Here’s hoping there will be no more meltdowns.
However, if you do end up on the receiving end of a last-minute cancellation, we have a guide on what to do.
Featured photo by Mark Williamson/Getty Images.
