Drivers are being warned by motoring organisations that Britain’s roads over this Bank Holiday will be the busiest they have ever been, potentially causing huge delays.
The RAC is predicting almost 21.5mln journeys will be made over the four-day break, kicking off on Good Friday when more than 4.5mln journeys are likely to be made.
People planning a getaway by plane also face huge delays to get through the departure gates, that’s if their flight hasn’t been cancelled.
British Airways and EasyJet cut 80 more scheduled services today following cancellations all week due to staff shortages.
The two carriers warned more flights are likely to be axed as the Easter weekend progresses.
That comes as experts predict airports are heading for one of the busiest weekends in years.
Aviation analysts Cirium said forecast the UK is set for its busiest weekend since the pandemic with 1.63mln flights seats sold.
Almost 2,500 flights are scheduled to take off on Good Friday from the UK alone, which compares with 1,363 last year and 984 flights in 2020 at the start of the Covid pandemic.
Stansted Airport, the hub of easyJet’s UK operation, has advised travellers to book their luggage in the day before they fly and check in as soon as the airport opens to get to their plane in time.
Routes from London to Dublin, Amsterdam and New York will be especially busy said Cirium.
Travellers using Dover, however, look set for the worst waits with P&O Ferries announcing it has cancelled all passenger services across the Channel from Friday to Monday.
The ferry company normally runs up to 15 crossings a day between Dover and Calais at peak times.
P&O apologised to passengers last night adding: "We will provide a full refund of your ticket. We will also pay back the difference in cost between your P&O Ferries ticket and your new booking with another operator."
Long stretches of the M20 into Dover are still being used to park lorries waiting to travel out of the UK, an operation that will remain in place at least for the duration of the Easter Break, said the Highways Agency.