Dusseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Even on the third holiday weekend, vacationers at the airports in North Rhine-Westphalia had to put up with long waiting times. As early as Friday morning, long queues formed at the security checkpoints at Cologne/Bonn Airport, stretching all the way to the outside of the airport building. Passengers were also backed up in Düsseldorf on Friday.
A spokesman for Düsseldorf Airport said that longer waiting times can still be expected on Saturday and Sunday due to the lack of staff.
In order to be on the plane in time, many holidaymakers said they had come to the airport up to eight hours earlier on Friday. This "new phenomenon" makes the situation even more confusing, said a spokesman for the federal police. Passengers should also ensure that they only have permitted items in their hand luggage.
"You can't blame the passengers if you didn't hire staff in time," said Verdi union secretary Özay Tarim on Friday. Vacationers were asked to come to the airports earlier. This Saturday he expects long queues again to "change the bed". The situation is also stressful for employees. According to Tarim, the sickness rate among security personnel is currently around 20 percent.
Düsseldorf Airport is expecting around 179,000 passengers for the third holiday weekend. Cologne/Bonn Airport expects around 108,000 passengers.
