There were chaotic scenes at Northern Ireland's largest airport this morning as long queues formed because of a shortage of security staff.
A number of passengers took to social media to complain about the delays and express concern about missing flights, with the situation at Belfast International Airport described as an "absolute shambles".
Photographs posted by a number of passengers on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed long queues waiting to go through security.
Never seen queues like this #belfastairport https://t.co/7Cx8Cs85m9
— Jimmy Stafford (@JimmystaffordDJ) November 9, 2024
In a statement to RTÉ News, management at the airport said there was a staff shoratge because of illness and apologised to passengers.
"This morning our security facility suffered a significant staff shortage due to short term illness that resulted in delays for passengers that were totally unacceptable, and we apologise unreservedly for this," the statement said.
"We are working closely with our security provider to resolve the issue and enact our contingency plans to ensure our passengers are not inconvenienced any further.
"Security wait times are currently back to normal, and passengers are moving well through the facility."
Passengers impacted by the delays have been asked to contact the airport directly on feedback@bfs.aero.
New technology which was supposed to shorten the time taken to get through security was introduced at the airport last month.
It enables passengers to leave all electronics and liquids under 100ml in their hand luggage, removing the need to unpack them to go through security scanners.
At the time the airport's management company said it would speed up the security process and was part of efforts to "optimise processes and ensure a smooth and efficient experience for passengers."
