Aviation chiefs ward off early birds

Festive Brits heading abroad this holiday season have been warned not too arrive too early for their flights – for fear of clogging up the nation's overstretched airports.

Some 2.8 million passengers will travel through Heathrow this Christmas, according to airport operator BAA, and to ease the congestion, travellers are warned not to turn up more than two hours before short-haul flights and no longer than three hours in anticipation of longer journeys.

"At Christmas, people factor in more time," a British Airways spokesperson told BBC News.

"But it doesn't serve them well because they get there so early the self-service kiosks are not open and the check-in is not open for business."

"They are essentially stuck in limbo and are filling up the airport - unable to go through security or go shopping."

The north is expected to see a similar rush of passengers looking to get away for Christmas and the New Year – Manchester airport expects to handle over 150,000 passengers on the long weekend before the 25th.

This is an increase of five per cent on the same period last year, but the most popular festive destination, Tenerife, remains unchanged.