Security check Queue at Cologne/Bonn Airport reaches all the way outside
Cologne/Bonn/Düsseldorf · With another summer weekend approaching, patience was once again the order of the day at the security checkpoints at Cologne/Bonn Airport. The queue stretched all the way outside. Long waiting times are also expected at the weekend.
On the third weekend of summer holidays for school students, vacationers at airports in North Rhine-Westphalia once again had to put up with long waiting times. As early as Friday morning, long queues formed at the security checkpoints at Cologne/Bonn Airport, reaching as far as the outside of the airport building. Passengers also had to wait in long lines in Düsseldorf on Friday.
On Saturday and Sunday, longer waiting times are still to be expected due to the shortage of staff, said a spokesman for Düsseldorf Airport.
Many vacationers said they arrived at the airport up to eight hours early on Friday so they would get to their plane on time. This "new phenomenon" makes the situation even more confusing, said a spokesman for the Federal Police. Also, passengers should make sure they only have permitted items in their hand luggage.
"You can't blame passengers, when the airlines have not hired staff in time," Verdi union secretary Özay Tarim said Friday. He added that people going on vacation have been asked to come to the airports earlier. This Saturday, he expects long lines again. The situation is also stressful for employees, he said. The number of security personnel currently out on sick leave is around 20 percent, Tarim said.
For the third vacation weekend, Düsseldorf Airport expects around 179,000 passengers. Cologne/Bonn Airport is expecting around 108,000 passengers.
Orig. text: dpa
Translation: ck
