TO FIX CHARLEROI SECURITY STAFF SHORTAGES AHEAD OF BUSY EASTER HOLIDAY WEEKEND

OVER 2,000 PASSENGERS HAVE MISSED FLIGHTS SO FAR IN APRIL
 

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Thurs, 17 Apr) called on the Walloon Govt to urgently fix the ongoing security staff shortages at Charleroi Airport, which are causing passengers to suffer security delays of up to 90mins with queues extending as far as the car park. In the first two weeks of April alone, over 2,000 passengers have missed their flights as a result of these security staff shortages at Charleroi Airport. This is unacceptable and the Walloon Govt must now take urgent action to protect passengers from suffering even worse security delays this Easter weekend – one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel.

For the last 4 months, Ryanair has repeatedly asked Charleroi Airport Management to fix their staffing shortages, but they have failed to do so at the expense of passengers who continue to face excessive and unnecessary security queues. As a result of these ongoing security staff shortages, there are regularly only 50% of the 11 security lanes at Charleroi open, which is not enough to manage the day-to-day traffic through the airport, let alone the surge in passengers that will go through Charleroi Airport this Easter weekend – many of which are families with young children heading away for a well-deserved and hard-earned Easter break.

Ryanair has provided two simple solutions that would mitigate disruption to passengers over the Easter weekend;

1. Allow a second security provider to supply staff to ensure all lanes are open, as has been done in the past.
2. Deploy trained army personnel to ensure all lanes are open.

Ryanair calls on the Walloon Govt to oversee the implementation of rapid effective solutions to ensure that all 11 security lanes at Charleroi can be operational for the busy Easter weekend and that passengers, particularly those travelling with young children, can pass through security with minimal wait times.

Ryanair COO, Neal McMahon said;

“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. Over the last two weeks alone, over 2,000 passengers have missed their flights unnecessarily and suffered excessive security queues of 1-2 hours, and all because Charleroi Management have not ensured adequate staff are in place to open all 11 security lanes. This is not good enough, and the problem will only worsen this weekend with the huge increase in passengers – many of which are families with young children – set to travel for the Easter break.

Ryanair now calls on the Walloon Govt to urgently intervene and fix these ongoing security staff shortages at Charleroi Airport, so that Belgian families will not be forced to suffer 1-2 hour long queues this weekend. The Walloon Govt as an emergency measure must work with Charleroi to get a second security provider or alternatively send in trained army personnel on site to ensure all lanes are open.”