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Australian airports swamped over Easter

Staff WritersAAP
People flying off for an Easter break can expect long queues at major airports across the country.
Camera IconPeople flying off for an Easter break can expect long queues at major airports across the country. Credit: AAP

Australian airports are experiencing their busiest day in two years as thousands of people fly around the country for the Easter long weekend amid chronic staff shortages.

Passengers are being asked to arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights as Sydney Airport contends with about 82,000 passengers on Thursday, following a week of long queues caused by reduced staff numbers and rusty passengers.

Almost 60,000 passengers are expected to use Brisbane Airport on Thursday, while Melbourne will handle 76,000 a day over the Easter period.

Adelaide is anticipating 25,000 on Thursday and again on Friday.

Easter Monday will be Hobart's busiest-ever day for flights, with more than 81 planes coming and going.

While long queues are likely to increase travel stress, passengers have been reminded of the importance of keeping calm.

"Bad behaviour on an aircraft can put safety at risk," Civil Aviation Safety Authority CEO Pip Spence said.

"It can ... cause distractions during critical phases of flight and jeopardise the safety of other passengers."

Penalties for unruly behaviour can include up to two years in prison, and fines of $1100.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was delighted to see the tourism industry bouncing back, but said people should also expect some travel congestion.

"These are days we were looking forward to during this pandemic," Mr Morrison said.

"There are going to be some setbacks as the staff come back in, as the system is built up again.

"I'd just ask people to show some patience. I know it is frustrating and I know the airlines and everybody is doing everything they can to turn that around."

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, who holds the transport portfolio, said the government was committed to tackling airport congestion.

"I look today and I see the crowding at Sydney airport, and it's understandable," Mr Joyce said.

"We've got five million people that live in the (Sydney) basin and there's issues there."

The government intended to spend $55 million at Newcastle Airport to increase international flight capacity, he said.

Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said after two years of COVID-19 related disruptions, the surge in holiday bookings was welcome.

"The pent-up demand created by the Omicron outbreak ruining the Christmas and summer holiday plans of many ... is also helping to drive the travel rush," she said.

Transport Workers Union national secretary Michael Kaine said baggage handlers, ground staff and security workers were under incredible pressure.

Many of those workers lost their jobs at the start of pandemic lockdowns as they did not qualify for federal government JobKeeper payments because they were employed by foreign companies.

"That's the underlying reason that we're seeing the staff shortages that are leading to this kind of day, with catastrophic scenes at our airport (in Sydney)," Mr Kaine told the ABC on Thursday.

"Those 2000 workers are ready, willing and able to come back to work but Qantas is not putting them back on, and now we're seeing this panicked response," he said.

The union is calling for an independent commission to address what it described as long-term issues in the industry.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi urged travellers to be patient, adding the pandemic led to thousands of highly skilled workers being stood down or made redundant.

"Airlines and their suppliers are now scaling up their workforce but given the safety-critical nature of the jobs they do, recruitment and re-training can take time," he said.

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