Transport in Luxembourg: The airport is “well prepared” for summer traffic
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Transportation in LuxembourgAirport is ‘well prepared’ for summer traffic
LUXEMBOURG – Some European airports are currently struggling to manage the influx of passengers, due to a shortage of staff. The Findel is rather spared, assures the authorities.
The aviation sector is taking off again after the Covid crisis. Problem: some European airports (example: Amsterdam and London) are faced with a lack of staff. So much so that chaotic situations are sometimes compensated for at the level of registration and checks, during this holiday period. Questioned by the CSV MP, Nancy Kemp, on the situation at Findel, the Minister for Mobility François Bausch indicated that the situation at Findel is “not directly comparable”: “Lux airport has more staff today than in the pre-pandemic year 2019, when there was much more traffic than today, so the airport is well prepared for summer traffic”.
The Minister specifies that 347 people are currently employed by lux-Airport, compared to 295 in 2019. “Additional staff have been hired to help guide passengers in the terminal and prepare them for security checks, he notes. Despite everything, longer waiting times and a lack of parking spaces at peak times “are inevitable”, admits François Bausch. “Despite significantly lower overall traffic than in 2019, the number of passengers is currently 30 to 40% higher during these time slots than before the pandemic, he notes. Another phenomenon this year is that flights are issued at very close intervals during peak hours.
Sorting difficult baggage for Luxair
For its part, Luxair has been faced with difficulties this year in terms of sorting luggage, in particular with the increase in the number of flights this summer, notes the Minister. Consequently, the Luxembourg company has recruited “just under 100 people” this year, “who are partly employed in baggage handling, partly in other Luxair services”. As a reminder, the LCGB, OGBL and NGL-SNEP unions issued a joint press release in July to to announce “a sustained high level of workload and a record level of staff fatigue” within the company. According to the workers’ representatives, the reason is a lack of employees “at all levels”.
According to figures issued by the ministry, Luxair had 2,831 “full-time equivalents” in June 2022, compared to 2,919 in June 2019. “Based on the request from the Ministry of Health, there are still four people on a total of eleven people in the “Temporary loan of labor” (PTMO) for the tracing of Covid contact cases, details the minister. All other people are back to flying activities. In addition, “Flight Personnel” were hired on several occasions this year (pilots and cabin crew). The same applies to ground staff (check-in and ground handling)”.
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