A weekend as strong as a six-month period
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18,000 passengers will be handled at Innsbruck Airport this weekend. That is as many as in the entire first half of 2021. This means that you have quickly returned to the pre-crisis level. However, there are still a number of flights missing during the week. In addition, you are struggling with staff shortages.
Since the beginning of the year, those responsible at Innsbruck Airport can look back on a pleasing development, which is also confirmed by the figures. A total of 18,000 passengers arrive and depart Innsbruck on Saturday and Sunday. That’s as many as in the first half of the pandemic year 2021. At that time there were 21,000 guests, said Marco Director Pernetta Airport. There would still be a lack of flights in the morning and in the evening at the weekend, otherwise you would be in no way inferior to a “normal” winter season.
challenge for staff
During the week, the airport is currently seeing 50 to 60 percent of passengers compared to a pre-virus winter. The employees had two years of short-time work behind them, they were able to keep all the staff, but some had resigned of their own accord due to the circumstances. In addition, there is the absence of infected employees, according to Pernetta.
Shipment note:
“Tyrol Today”, February 12, 2022
That’s why you’re struggling with bottlenecks on a weekend as strong as this. With 70 percent the majority of passengers from the UK and Ireland, including 20 percent from Scandinavian countries. The rest is divided between Holland, Germany and other countries. This year, Innsbruck Airport already counts 125,000 passengers in one and a half months, i.e. many as in the whole of 2021.
Private jets “replace” missing flights
Due to the unexpected flight offer, significantly more private jets have recently taken off and landed in Innsbruck, the airport director confirmed. Those who had to travel would have resorted to it. The passengers are mainly businesses that urgently had to fly to their partners and factories despite the pandemic, “you have to be able to afford it”.
This will change with a delay from May, when flights from Innsbruck to Frankfurt will be possible again three times a day, according to Pernetta. The good start to the year with high booking numbers will last until mid-April, people are persistent. Then there will be another important connection with Frankfurt and they are also very optimistic and well booked for the summer, according to Innsbruck Airport.