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Lack of staff at Frankfurt Airport: long waits at baggage claim

2022-06-26T05:13:24.591Z


“I find that unspeakable”: Travelers report about waiting at baggage claim Created: 06/26/2022, 07:00 By: Jutta Rippegather Travelers are now feeling the consequences of staff cuts at the airport. There is no immediate improvement in sight. Frankfurt – "Do the people of Frankfurt actually know what's going on at their airport?" asked Britta Thamm in her email to the editors. She's been waiting


“I find that unspeakable”: Travelers report about waiting at baggage claim

Created: 06/26/2022, 07:00

By: Jutta Rippegather

Travelers are now feeling the consequences of staff cuts at the airport.

There is no immediate improvement in sight.

Frankfurt – "Do the people of Frankfurt actually know what's going on at their airport?" asked Britta Thamm in her email to the editors.

She's been waiting for her suitcase for an hour.

"It has been known for a long time that our provincial airport in Hanover has problems, but that such an internationally recognized airport can't handle handing over suitcases to its passengers really surprises me." After ten hours on the plane and a time difference of nine hours she will probably miss her train now.

"I find that unspeakable, an impertinence for everyone."

A few hours later on Tuesday evening (June 21), three Lanzarote vacationers from the Offenbach district were hit at Frankfurt Airport.

When they finally held their luggage in their hands after three quarters of an hour, the last S-Bahn to Rödermark was gone.

They took a taxi, as reported by fnp.de.

There are currently problems in baggage claim at Frankfurt Airport.

(Iconic image) © IMAGO/STAR-MEDIA/Archive

Long waits at baggage claim: staff shortages at Frankfurt Airport

Not an isolated case, says Verdi union secretary Christoph Miemietz.

"The baggage claim often doesn't work, and we don't expect it to get any better in the next few weeks." After the massive downsizing, the pre-corona level is not achievable so quickly.

"There is a lack of staff, the sickness rate is high." New hires would have to go through the security check and be trained.

That takes time.

The return of the desire to travel poses major challenges for the entire industry, says Dieter Hulick, spokesman for the airport operator Fraport.

"It is true that in some places we do not yet have sufficient staff available again and therefore there can be waiting times in the terminals and at baggage claim at peak times."

Around 870 of the 1,000 new colleagues that subsidiary Fraground wants to recruit for baggage and ground handling at Frankfurt Airport this year have already been hired.

Around 100 "administrative employees" from Fraport would be temporarily deployed in the operational area, for example for staff trips.

More crowds at Frankfurt Airport: Waiting times at baggage claim

Fraport recommends being at the terminal two and a half hours before departure.

Because there are other organizational challenges, says Hulick.

The flights, which were unevenly distributed throughout the day, made it even more difficult to "balance the number of staff".

Early in the morning and just before noon, Frankfurt Airport is almost as busy as it was before the pandemic.

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In the hours in between only half.

"Frequent flight plan changes" - mostly due to external factors such as weather or overcrowded airspace - led to increased personnel costs.

Airlines are therefore canceling flights or moving them to times with less traffic, says Hulick.

He cannot say how many flights are affected in Frankfurt.

At least there is good news about the security checks.

Unlike at many other airports in the republic, there are not long waiting times there.

"We don't have any serious problems there," assures Reza Ahmari, spokesman for the federal police.

The security service providers managed to keep their staff levels high during the corona pandemic.

Air Passenger Rights

If the airline cancels

the flight, according to the consumer advice center, it must offer alternative transport as soon as possible.

According to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation, compensation payments are only made less than 14 days before departure.

In the case of a package tour

, the tour operator is also responsible for transport to the booked date.

(law)

The “Flugärger-App” from the consumer centers Verbraucherzentrale-hessen.de offers

uncomplicated help

Despite the lack of staff at Frankfurt Airport: security checks without any problems

Incidentally, the three Lanzarote holidaymakers will not be left with the taxi costs: "Passengers cannot hope for compensation - for example because the passengers were only able to pick up their car later from the parking garage or had to take a taxi instead of taking the train," says Peter Lassek von the consumer advice center in Hesse.

"There is simply no legal basis for this." (Jutta Rippegather)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-26

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