Summer holidays: at which airports do you have to wait a long time

There are no cancellations, delays or long waiting times at the Thuringian capital airport. An airport spokesman said that although there was more flight movement again, flight management was not a problem as the staff were very well placed.

The capital’s airport is preparing for a large influx of travellers. The airport company expects up to three million passengers during the summer holidays. This is about a million more people than last year’s summer holidays. The airport has made the best possible preparations over the past weeks and months. Also, there are currently no reports of short-term illness that could cause bottlenecks, an airport spokeswoman said. However, there will be occasional wait times and delays.

The Cockpit pilot association, on the other hand, expects it significant test of patience for many travellers also at BER. Like other airports in Germany, BER is also expected to have major problems coping with the large number of holidaymakers, said Matthias Baier, cockpit board member at RBB information radio.

Airport chief Michael Eggenschwiler has announced that passengers will also need to be prepared for waiting times at Hamburg Airport. There is a shortage of staff in many places. According to an airport spokeswoman, waiting times are longer, especially in the morning hours. Despite the low staffing availability of the airport companies, it has recently been possible to increase the staff again. According to the federal police, the waiting time before the security checkpoint was an hour and a half earlier Thursday morning.

To cope with the rush of the next few days, Fuhlsbüttel airport was opened earlier. Doors open at 3.15am on Fridays and security checks begin at 3.30am.

There are also long queues for check-in at Hanover Airport. Recently, however, the suitcase chaos in Hanover has made headlines. Hundreds of suitcases lined up at Hanover-Langenhagen airport.

The service provider AHS, which takes over a large part of the handling at Hanover Airport, was especially criticized. Five times the amount of lost luggage is currently being reported per day, AHS writes in a statement. Passengers and their checked baggage often do not arrive at the same time. The service provider sees a reason in insufficient transfer times.

According to an airport spokesman, there is also a relatively high level of unpunctuality and long waiting times, especially for baggage. The loading of departing aircraft and the baggage of passengers in transit is currently considered a priority. Those who end their journey in Frankfurt therefore sometimes have to wait two hours for their suitcases.

Franconia Airport made national negative news over the Whitsun holiday. At that time, 1,700 bags were left behind. A technical failure, the personnel situation and changes in the flight plan were to blame. The airport described the problems as a “chain of circumstances”.

The personnel situation remains tense. Since December, the largest recruitment campaign in the history of the airport has been underway. 50 new employees are expected in June and July alone, the spokesman said. The personnel situation will then return to the pre-coronavirus level.

The airline must offer an alternative flight. Affected passengers can either accept the offered rebooking or request a refund. Rebooking is usually quite easy with the airlines themselves.

If the airline does not offer a suitable alternative flight, passengers can search for a suitable offer themselves. However, Simone Meisel from the consumer advice center Saxony-Anhalt recommends only booking such flights after consultation in writing (e.g. single call. It is important here also to document the direct contact with the airline or tour operator so that in the event of a legal dispute we can provide evidence.”