Weekend rush – what travelers need to know
What do travelers have to do if they are currently flying from Cologne/Bonn Airport? Long waiting times are again expected at the weekend. Information at a glance.
Cologne/Bonn – Travelers sometimes have to put up with long waiting times at many airports in Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia. The reasons: personnel problems due to Corona, canceled Lufthansa and Eurowings flights or the high number of passengers during the summer holidays. Air travelers at Cologne/Bonn Airport have also recently had to be patient. The current situation and what needs to be considered.
Long waiting time at Cologne/Bonn Airport: rush expected on the last weekend in July
Since the beginning of the NRW summer holidays, there has been a sharp increase in the volume of travel at Cologne/Bonn Airport. Coming from the train station or the parking lot, travelers notice the long line leading to the security checkpoints. And there is still no sign of relaxation in sight – quite the opposite.
For the last weekend in July (July 29 to 31), a rush similar to the previous one is expected at Cologne/Bonn Airport. Last weekend (July 22 to 24) there were “unreasonable waiting times” at Cologne/Bonn Airport. In some cases, passengers were waiting in line for up to ten hours. In order to prevent this as far as possible, the Federal Police would also like to help out again if necessary.
Current situation at Cologne/Bonn Airport – essential information at a glance
► On the Cologne/Bonn Airport website Is there always the latest information on the situation and tips on how to behave for travelers. Cologne/Bonn Airport is currently asking you to plan “enough time at the airport”.
► The recommendation: Passengers should calculate “at least a good 2.5 hours more time”. Air travelers should also find out in advance about the check-in times of the respective airline.
► You can also register online via the Check-in status of own flight inform.
(Status: July 28, 10:45 a.m., source: Cologne/Bonn Airport)
Cologne/Bonn Airport: This is what travelers should do in the current situation
If you also want to catch your plane at Cologne Airport, you should definitely plan a few hours in advance – probably at least until August 9th, when the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia end. According to the Federal Police, the following should also be observed:
- Travelers should be at the security checkpoint at least 120 minutes before departure time
- Before the trip, the validity of travel documents (e.g. proof of vaccination, passport) should be checked
- If possible, only hand luggage should be taken on the plane
Current situation at Cologne/Bonn Airport: when is it busy?
Basically, according to the federal police, there are long waiting times at Cologne Airport, especially during fewer “peaks”. On some weekends, these are sometimes all day, but otherwise mainly on Saturday and Sunday mornings and Thursday and Friday evenings. These are the times when a particularly large number of passengers fly at once. Then there are sometimes “waiting times of more than three hours,” said a federal police spokesman recently to 24RHEIN.
Especially during the week it is usually quieter and the waiting time shorter, said a federal police spokesman on Thursday (July 7) when asked by 24RHEIN. The Federal Police is responsible for security checks at all German airports. “But there’s always a lot going on at the weekends,” said the spokesman.
What is the situation at other German airports?
In addition to Cologne Airport, other larger airports such as Berlin and Munich also have to deal with long waiting times. The situation is similar at Düsseldorf Airport and Frankfurt Airport:
► This is the current situation at Düsseldorf Airport
► This is the current situation at Frankfurt Airport
Cologne/Bonn Airport: How can a long waiting time be avoided?
SO that the situation stays as calm as possible, you can also pay attention to a few things for security checks or check-in at Cologne/Bonn Airport. Curiously, this also includes: Not getting to the airport too early. “Many travelers also arrive five to eight hours before departure,” says the federal police spokesman. That also led to long queues and longer waiting times at Cologne Airport.
According to the airport recommendation, passengers should arrive at the airport around 2.5 to 3 hours before departure. You can also register online via the Check-in status of your own flight, which helps to better estimate the waiting time. Compared to Frankfurt Airport, for example, you cannot see the current waiting times at Cologne/Bonn Airport in advance.
Airports in Germany: Most important travel information
Travelers at Düsseldorf Airport, Dortmund Airport, Weeze Airport or Frankfurt Airport have to plan longer waiting times, especially during holiday periods. 24RHEIN shows,
► What you have to consider at Düsseldorf Airport during security checks and check-in
► What you have to consider at Dortmund Airport during security checks and check-in
► What you have to consider at Weeze Airport during security checks and check-in
► What you have to consider at Frankfurt Airport during security checks and check-in
Cologne/Bonn Airport: Queues at security checks – now more staff wanted
Since the security checks are the bottleneck at Cologne/Bonn Airport, there are long waiting times, especially here. According to the Federal Police spokesman, “thoroughness and safety always come first”. Is it also because of the staff? Apparently only partially. According to the Federal Police, there are more than 100 sick leave reports (for 570 people), mainly due to Corona, but these would still be sufficient in most cases. Because at the “peak” times there is such a rush that these are generally not “tradable”, explains the federal police spokesman.
Since these only take place selectively, the Federal Police actually did not want to hire more staff – until now. As a consequence of hours of waiting and long queues of travelers in July, the federal police now want to increase capacity at Cologne/Bonn Airport. As part of a temporary tender, a second security service provider is being sought, the federal police said.
The personnel problem does not only exist at Cologne/Bonn Airport, but at most European airports. The situation in Frankfurt is hardly better. There, the airport even advises passengers against black suitcases in order to get a better handle on the baggage chaos, as reported by wa.de.
Long waiting times at Cologne/Bonn Airport: the airport will assist with security checks
As a consequence of the long queues, Cologne/Bonn Airport also wants to be involved in security checks in the future. “As an airport, we are prepared to take responsibility for the controls. That also means that we can have a say and have an influence on the organization of the controls,” said airport boss Thilo Schmid Cologne City Gazette.
Infrastructure provided by the airport can also help. “In this context, we are willing to invest in technical equipment ourselves in order to strengthen the processes,” explained Schmid. “We have a lot of experience in working with service providers and could also bring this to bear. When it comes to planning, control and monitoring, we have a lot of expertise.”
So far, the security checks have been under the supervision of the Federal Police and have essentially been outsourced to a private service provider. (os mit dpa) Fairly and independently informed, what happened in NRW and Cologne – subscribe to our free 24RHEIN newsletter here.
This text is continuously updated.