A union has said baggage handlers and ground crew at Jersey airport are overworked and understaffed.

Passengers reported delays of several hours on Saturday to be boarded on and off planes, and to retrieve their luggage.

The tourism chairman for the government said the disruptions could leave tainted memories for people visiting.

Swissport apologised to its customers and said it was continuing to recruit staff in both Jersey and the UK.

James Turner from Unite Union said more needed to be done to recruit and support ground handling staff.

He said: "I think it's more to do with amount of fatigue and the levels of saturation of the current workforce are facing.

"It's common knowledge that the headcounts are actually far too low for the summer season, especially the upcoming summer season, which is expected to be higher than what it's been the last two or three years."

Robert Mackenzie, tourism chair for the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said the disruption could be negative for those visiting.

"At the end of the day this is their first and last impression when they travel through the airport, so it's really important that we try to get it right in terms of the service we deliver, and clearly for some of the time over the weekend that service fell a bit short," he said.

Passenger Sarah McClelland, who was affected by the delays, said she was "really grateful" to airline staff for loading their luggage onto the plane so it could take off.

"In all fairness to them, it's not really their job, absolute credit to them for just getting on and doing it," she said.

Swissport said: "We have significantly increased staff numbers at Ports of Jersey (PoJ) this weekend, and continue to recruit staff from both Jersey and the UK mainland.

"We are determined to give our dedicated colleagues all the support they need to ensure travellers at Jersey airport have a smooth journey and are grateful to PoJ for their continued support."

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