Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is calling for immediate action from the Walloon Government to address ongoing security staffing issues at Charleroi Airport, which have caused significant delays for passengers. These delays have led to long queues, with wait times extending up to 90 minutes, sometimes spilling into the parking lot. Over the first two weeks of April, more than 2,000 passengers missed their flights due to these delays—an issue Ryanair has labeled unacceptable.
As the busy Easter travel period approaches, Ryanair is pressing for quick measures to prevent further disruptions. The airline has raised the issue with Charleroi Airport Management over the past four months, but the staffing shortage remains unresolved, leaving travelers to deal with lengthy security lines. At present, only half of the airport’s 11 security lanes are operational, which is inadequate to handle the normal traffic, let alone the expected surge during the Easter weekend.
To alleviate the problem, Ryanair has suggested two simple solutions:
- Hire a second security provider to provide additional staff and ensure all security lanes are open, as has been done in the past.
- Deploy trained military personnel to assist with security staffing and ensure the smooth operation of all lanes.
Ryanair is urging the Walloon Government to oversee the implementation of these solutions to ensure Charleroi Airport can handle the expected flow of passengers with minimal delays. This is especially important for families with young children, who face additional challenges during the busy travel period.
Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s Chief Operating Officer, criticized Charleroi Airport’s management for failing to address the issue despite knowing about the staffing shortage since Christmas. “It is absurd that Charleroi Management have known since Christmas that they would not have enough security staff to open all security lanes but have still not taken any action,” McMahon said. “In the last two weeks alone, over 2,000 passengers missed their flights and endured excessive 1-2 hour security queues, all because Charleroi Management failed to ensure enough staff were in place to open all 11 security lanes.”
Ryanair is calling for the Walloon Government to urgently intervene and fix the ongoing staffing shortages at Charleroi Airport to prevent further delays during the Easter holiday weekend. The airline urges the government to either work with Charleroi Airport to bring in a second security provider or deploy trained military personnel as an emergency measure to ensure all lanes are operational.
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