Holiday start could lead to traffic jams and chaos at the airport
Airport boss expects waiting times
Düsseldorf Airport expects around 1.1 million passengers during the two-week autumn break. The strongest rush will be on the first holiday weekend, when an estimated 268,000 people will use the state capital’s airport. The airport expects around 200,000 passengers on each of the two weekends that follow. Against the background of long queues, airport boss Thomas Schnalke said that they had “prepared as best as possible for the holiday season”. However, “delays and waiting times can still occur, especially at peak traffic times”.
Waiting times are also expected at Cologne/Bonn Airport. In the days leading up to the start of the holidays, this airport reported on Twitter that the waiting times at peak times were sometimes up to 60 minutes.
Autumn holidays in NRW: traffic chaos expected on the highways
Car trips are also likely to be a test of patience. The Leverkusen traffic center of the Autobahn GmbH expects a “tense traffic situation” on Friday afternoon, which would last until the early evening hours. The motorways that are used on the way to the coast, i.e. the A1, A3, A32, A40, A57 and A61, are particularly affected, according to a statement from the motorway company.
This year, the start of the autumn holidays coincides with a long weekend: Next Monday, October 3rd (Day of German Unity), is a public holiday. Therefore, from Friday noon, not only families with school children, but also couples and singles should drive off. The ADAC said the potential for traffic jams was particularly high on Friday afternoons when commuters, vacationers and weekend trippers met on the streets.