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Summer vacation begins in the first cantons of Switzerland and European countries. This is also the beginning of the busiest time at European airports. According to a study by the market and opinion research institute Ipsos, three-quarters of all Europeans plan to travel this summer – the highest number since 2011.
The memories of the last summer will be revived with the expected rush of travel enthusiasts. The aftermath of the corona pandemic was still being felt, and airports were overflowing with travel crowds. Some – like Amsterdam Schiphol and London Heathrow – soon made a name for themselves as breakdown airports. Complaints from passengers who had to wait for their luggage for their flights for hours or even weeks were on the agenda.
Blick asked potential troubled kids between airports. Reasons why things are getting better this summer:
more staff
Over the past year, airports have grappled with one particular problem: finding enough qualified personnel. Accordingly, a real recruiting attack is underway. Example Schiphol: When asked by Blick, a spokesperson said that more than 1,000 new security guards had been hired in the past few months. That’s enough for now.
However, there is still concern in the Netherlands. There may still be long queues, especially for flights to destinations outside the European Union. According to the report of the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the reason for this is that there are not enough police officers at the border controls.
Frankfurt Airport goes one step further: more than 2,500 ground handling workers have been employed since 2022 – with 850 more to be added in the coming months. “The situation remains challenging,” said a spokesperson.
new technologies
In Frankfurt, not only is the workforce being expanded, but a number of newly installed technologies are also intended to prevent chaos in the coming months. Since January, airport baggage control has so-called CT scanners. The abbreviation stands for computed tomography, a technology typically used in medicine.
Liquids and electronic devices can be left in hand luggage thanks to high-resolution images. Of the approximately 160 checkpoints, 7 are already equipped with new CT technology. 4 more CT devices will be used in June and July. By spring 2024, 40 CT devices will be in use in Frankfurt.
Frankfurt is not an isolated case. Similar efforts are underway in the UK, for example. The government there recently asked airport operators to fully adapt their technology standards for security checks by June 2024.
Less delays and cancellations
Airlines, too, have been able to at least partially make up for the staffing shortage. This also provides further relief for airport operators. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport had a ceiling capacity until mid-May due to employee shortages. A spokesperson says such a thing is no longer needed.
The figures for the spring months are also encouraging: According to the aviation portal Cirium, the number of canceled flights in Europe in April decreased by 48 percent compared to the previous month.
a risk remains
Still, the skies are not cloudless for the European aviation industry. There is one risk that particularly affects airport operators: strikes. Geneva Airport had to suffer this painfully.
Strikes for July have already been announced in Italy, England, Sweden and Spain. Lufthansa pilots may stop working in Germany during the summer holidays if the company does not comply with the demands of its employees.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
