Queues from 4am as Australian airports brace for peak delays over Easter long weekend

Hundreds of thousands of people set to travel through domestic terminals on Thursday, the highest numbers since March 2020

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Queues and delays at Australian airports are expected to be at their worst ahead of the Easter long weekend, but security providers have warned the chaos stemming from staff shortages will continue into the second half of the year.

More than 82,000 people were expected to travel through Sydney airport's domestic terminals on Thursday - the busiest day since March 2020 - while 350,000 were predicted to visit over the course of the long weekend. The travel peak comes as the airport struggles with security staffing that is 70% of pre-pandemic levels.