Here the chaos is worst – NRK Nordland
After visiting some classmates in Amsterdam, Jostein Liland was going back to Sandefjord today.
But he is unsure if he will get on the plane at all.
– I was fortunately well prepared, but I do not know if it holds.
The heart rate monitor shows that he has walked over one kilometer. And he’s far from halfway there.
– There is a queue over one kilometer long out in the sun. People apply sunscreen, sit on their bags or on the ground. It is divided out of water and a little mat, says Liland.
– Even though I had priority, I had to wait for over an hour to get in.
And this is how the situation has been at many of Europe’s airports lately.
– Basically, we are talking about the major airports in Europe, such as Amsterdam Schiphol, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Copenhagen Kastrup, Stockholm Arlanda, Dublin, Manchester, Brussels and Barcelona, says flight analyst Hans Jørgen Elnæs in Winair.
The reason is lack of enough people.
– The airports were affected in the same way as the airlines during the pandemic. Many had to lay off employees, and not all countries have as good licensing schemes as in Norway, Elnæs continues.
Among other things, SAS has canceled 4,000 flights this summer to remedy the capacity challenges.
Record day in Oslo
At Oslo Airport, Friday will have been registered in the number of travelers after the pandemic. At the same time, the day will give a good indication of how the summer will be at the airport.
– Today is a test day for how summer can be. We have prepared very well and have good plans for how it will be settled. This is about as high as it will be this summer, so when this day is over we know more about how it will be this summer, says airport director Stine Ramstad Westby.
As many as 96,000 passengers and 750 aircraft are expected this Friday alone.
– It is a big day for us and the passengers, says the airport director.
These are lower traffic numbers even before the pandemic.
Must be security cleared
Elnæs says that the airports lack people for everything from check-in to security checks and baggage handling, says Elnæs.
The aviation analyst says that these jobs are typical low-wage occupations, and if new people are to be hired, they must be trained and cleared.
– There have been stricter rules in the EU, so that these clearances can at worst fall towards ten weeks.
In less than a month, the joint holiday in Europe will also start.
– July is probably the most comprehensive month, says Elnæs.
Has implemented measures
But measures have been taken to reduce the chaos.
In Amsterdam Schiphol, you are now not allowed into the departure hall if it is more than four hours until the flight departs.
In the UK, airlines Tui and Ryanair have asked travelers to do not arrive more than three hours before departure.
– We must probably count on such measures, even if it is difficult and how it will be at each airport. That it will be chaos this summer, you have to reckon with that, says Elnæs.
May be increased transit times
Another measure may be at the airport increases the time passengers have from one flight to another when they stop over.
– The challenge that can arise is whether to book different tickets, through different airlines on the trip.
An example is if you fly with a company from Bodø to Oslo, and another company from Oslo and out into the world.
– Then you are responsible for catching the plane. If you fly consistently with a company, you are to a greater extent in the company’s control. So you should keep that in mind when booking your trip.
Follow messages
Although Oslo Airport has been spared from the really long queues, Ramstad Westby says that delays on the continent can spread to Norway.
– This is an aviation system that is connected, and it is the delay, so it is also the case with delays in Norway.
And for travelers who are going to fly during the Whitsun weekend or this summer, the airport director has the following advice:
– In line with what they have been told by their airlines, they must choose automated solutions if they can, check in at the vending machine or online, drop their suitcase themselves, travel with only hand luggage, if possible, be prepared in the security check and breathing with the stomach – it goes well, she says.