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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned of weekend disruption to land, sea and air journeys as networks became “extremely busy”. He spoke as Green Flag research predicted nearly half of all motorists or just under 22 million plan trips totalling more than 1.4 billion miles. Meanwhile, British Airways and easyJet axed a total of 76 flights yesterday in addition to hundreds of cancellations linked to staff shortages.

Traffic jams built up at Dover as the cross-Channel route was thrown into further doubt by the detention of a third ferry operated by disgraced P&O.

Analysts believe the company may not be able to resume its Dover-Calais service in the crisis which followed its controversial sacking of 800 workers.

The firm suspended most operations after replacing staff with cheaper agency workers, and its ferries Port of Kent and Spirit of Britain were detained over safety fears.

It emerged yesterday that the Spirit of Britain has also been detained after an inspection found “a number of deficiencies”.

Mr Shapps told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “This weekend will be extremely busy on our roads, potentially at our ports of course, particularly at Dover.

“P&O disgracefully sacked all of their staff and then attempted to run ships which wouldn’t have been safe with the replacement below minimum wage staff they tried to hire quickly.

“We know that none of their ships are running at the moment. So I do expect there to be disruption, with no thanks to P&O there.”

Green Flag said the great getaway will run from tomorrow to Monday as travellers enjoy the first Easter without some form of Covid travel restrictions.

With fine weather also adding to the exodus, they will complete trips averaging 102 miles, but about three million will be covering 200 miles or more.

The turmoil could be exacerbated by petrol stations running dry due to supply problems caused by eco-activists protests at oil depots.

More than nine million people will be heading to airports, ferry terminals or Eurotunnel for travel abroad, while 25 percent of motorists will be visiting families.

Damon Jowett, Director of Roadside and Network Services at Green Flag, said: “It’s no surprise that so many of us plan to hit the road. 

“We’re urging drivers to make sure their vehicles are road trip ready. We know that many breakdowns are avoidable if the proper care is taken .”

British Airways said it was stopping at least 53 flights planned for domestic or European routes to or from Heathrow, while easyJet cancelled 23 Gatwick flights.

Long queues have been reported at Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester airports, which are short-staffed following the pandemic.

Operators say they struggled to hire new workers because security vetting takes so long and have also been hit by sickness in the new Covid wave.

Aviation data firm Cirium said 9,212 flights with 1.6 million seats are due to leave Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday – almost 80 per cent of the traffic recorded in 2019.

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