PASSENGERS planning Christmas trips through Manchester Airport could face ‘travel chaos’ as a major baggage handling firm quits the UK, unions have warned.

Aviator, which employs 1,700 staff across the country, provides other key services like getting passengers checked in and de-icing aircraft.

As well as Manchester, it has a presence at Birmingham, Newcastle, and Edinburgh airports. But the Swedish firm will pull out of the UK on November 30, the Manchester Evening News has reported.

At Manchester, that will affect 192 Aviator staff who are working for Thomas Cook, SAS and Norwegian. Union bosses warned that ‘travel chaos is on the cards’ unless the airport’s owners and airlines find new baggage handling suppliers.

The firm said it was in discussions with other operators and airlines to take over its services.

Oliver Richardson, Unite national officer for civil air transport, said: “Unite will be seeking assurances from the company, airlines, other handlers and ultimately, the airports that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

“It is a matter of serious concern for both our members and the travelling public that so close to Christmas most of the airlines have not announced where their baggage handling and check-in contracts are going.

“The airport owners and the airlines, which require these services for their planes to land and take-off efficiently, need to get their skates on to sort this out, without any detriment to the staff jobs, pay and conditions, otherwise Christmas travel chaos is on the cards.”

But Aviator, Thomas Cook and Manchester Airport insist plans are in place to avoid disruption.

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: “We have already started looking for other suppliers so that our customers can continue to go on their hard-earned holidays as planned.”

A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “We are working closely with all airlines affected by the situation and are confident there will be no impact on passengers, when Aviator ceases trading.

“Our airline partners are already in discussion with alternative providers to carry out ground handling services on their behalf. Anyone with further queries on sourcing new partners, should speak to the airlines directly.”