Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast with me, Simon Calder. It's Wednesday,

the 23rd of July, gearing up for the busiest time of the whole year as people make their getaways.

We heard on Monday about the effects at the port of Dover. Today it's the turn of the airport,

and I'm delighted to be joined by Paul Charles.

He's the chief executive of the PC agency,

and also a former Virgin Atlantic Communications Director.

So, how are things going to be at the airport?

Well, they've certainly learned their lessons from the last few years and the pain that

a lot of passengers have gone through due to post-COVID staffing issues.

So they seem to be better staffed, that's for sure, when you are looking at UK airports,

but it will be very, very busy. Let's be really clear. If you're

travelling in the next few days and we've got one of the busiest days of the year coming up on

Friday, then you are going to be pretty close to other passengers, putting it bluntly. It's not

going to be quiet. It's going to be chocker all the way through whether you're going through

security, a check-in, in the departure loungers as well. It's going to be chocker all the way through whether you're going through security, a check-in,

in the departure loungers as well. It's going to be very, very busy. Be prepared for a lot

of people travelling. Are all those planes going to depart? We've had at the start of this month,

real chaos caused by French air traffic controllers, have also had industrial action, they're popping

up in various parts of Italy. How worried should passengers be? You're never far from a strike

in Europe, that's for sure. And sadly, the French air traffic controllers yet again seem to

have reared their head just as the sun comes out and people are starting to travel en masse.

It's remarkable. They don't

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