Airport moves to clarify scenes after wave of late arrivals swelled immigration lines
Manchester Airport has addressed social media claims of weekend chaos, saying a short-lived build-up at Terminal 3 was triggered by several flights touching down outside their scheduled times and funnelling roughly 1,500 passengers into immigration at once. The airport said waits peaked at about 25 minutes before returning to normal.
The remarks follow a widely shared video posted by businessman Dave Fishwick, whose Lancashire banking story inspired Netflix’s Bank of Dave films. Returning from Mallorca, he described thousands queuing to reach the UK border and urged travellers to factor in extra time for pick-ups or taxis.
"Carnage at Manchester Airport tonight, I've just arrived back from Mallorca... The queues are colossal... it's definitely the longest queues I've ever, ever seen," Fishwick said, advising people to allow plenty of time for collections and transport.
Airport managers acknowledged the area had become busier than usual but stressed the situation was managed on the ground. A spokesperson said zig-zag lane systems were put in place to keep people moving and that, at the time of the video, multiple off-schedule arrivals converged, creating the bottleneck. They added that there were no ongoing queues once the surge passed.
What the airport says happened
- Several flights arrived outside their planned slots in quick succession.
- About 1,500 passengers reached immigration at roughly the same time.
- Queue times reached around 25 minutes at their height, according to the airport.
- “Zig-zag” queuing was used to regulate flow and maintain movement through the hall.
Manchester is the principal long-haul and holiday hub for Greater Manchester and the wider North West, and weekend evening waves can be particularly busy in summer. While queueing pressures are not unusual during sudden bunching of flights, airport officials insist systems are in place to manage spikes and return to regular throughput.
Snapshot of the weekend surge
| Factor | Airport account |
|---|---|
| Cause | Cluster of out-of-schedule arrivals |
| Passengers affected | Approx. 1,500 reaching immigration together |
| Peak wait | About 25 minutes |
| Queue management | Zig-zag lanes and on-site teams |
What Oldham travellers should know
For anyone flying via Manchester in the coming weeks, especially during busy summer periods, it’s sensible to plan for possible variability on arrival times and pick-ups. The airport’s account indicates the delays were short-lived and tied to a specific bunching of flights rather than an ongoing problem, but brief surges can occur when schedules are disrupted.
Those meeting arriving passengers may wish to keep an eye on live flight updates before setting off and be ready to adjust collection times if flights land together. For returning passengers, it’s prudent to communicate with lifts or taxi firms if immigration appears busier than usual once you land.
In its response, the airport reiterated there were no persistent delays beyond the surge and that queues moved under control of on-site teams. Fishwick’s post nonetheless struck a chord with many regular flyers, reflecting the pressure points that can appear at peak summer travel times.
