Mayhem broke out at Stansted Airport around midday on Saturday (29 July) after the airport was evacuated.
Let's face it, unless you're some sort of millionaire who can afford access to an executive lounge, checking in at the airport is a fundamentally unpleasant experience.
The long lines, getting patted down by some power-crazed security officer because you had the audacity to try and bring a bottle of water onto the plane, and of course the overbearing anxiety of getting stuffed into a metal tube to be rocketed through the air at 500mph. Even at the best of times, it's unpleasant.
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However, a number of would-be holidaymakers at Stansted had their check in experience made even worse today when the airport had to be evacuated.
Images from the airport show passengers huddled outside after they were made to leave the building, waiting for the all-clear to be allowed back inside.
Tensions are already heightened at the airport, with anxiety rife due to security concerns and the stuffy atmosphere - which makes it near impossible to fully relax. So add to that the fire alarm going off, and it only makes things so much worse.
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One person tweeted: "The worst fire evacuation process I think I have ever seen.
"Staff panicking, not enough exits for everyone to leave from, no direction from staff. Absolute shambles, hopefully you can bring this up in your management meeting on Monday."
Another wrote: "At Stansted airport, just had mass evacuation due to a fire alarm. Fire brigade have turned up. Can see us missing our flight."
A spokesperson for Stansted Airport has responded to customers complaints about the delay online. It replied to one tweet saying: "Apologies for any inconvenience caused by the fire alarm. This fire alarm activation has now been stood down. We hope your onward travel is smooth! Thank you."
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It is understood that the alarm has now been stood down and operations have returned to normal.
A spokesperson for Stansted Airport told The Sun: "There was a fire alarm detection in Landside departures.
"The check in area was evacuated under normal procedures as a precaution and is imminently going to be stood down with operation going back to normal."
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Police also attended the scene prior to operations returning to normal.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “Our officers assisted with crowd management after a fire alarm detection at Stansted Airport.
“The check-in area was evacuated under normal procedures as a precaution. The scene was stood down by 12.10pm.”
Kit Roberts