The kitchen chaos at Arlanda reached new levels since the airport management during the weekend was forced to enlist the help of the police to close the road to terminal 5 due to the congestion.
Vacation-hungry Swedes and new routes can contribute to continued long queues for the rest of the summer. Swedavia’s CEO Jonas Abrahamsson has previously said that he does not believe in a normalized situation until the autumn.
– We follow the situation very closely. We have many measures at Arlanda that we work with, partly to staff up, partly to increase capacity. Terminal 4 will be opened on Wednesday with check-in and security control to increase capacity. An exceptional measure, says Ellen Laurin, press officer at Swedavia.
On Monday, word came from Skavsta Airport in Nyköping that they can help relieve the situation at Arlanda, but there is no clear decision on this.
Out too early
How come it turned out like this?
The massive queues at Arlanda in recent months are due to the fact that it has been difficult to find staff, especially for the security checks.
Swedavia is trying to fix the problem, among other things, by bringing in staff from other airports and staffing companies. The security company Avarn, which is responsible for Arlanda’s staffing in security checks, works to recruit new employees.
– It is our priority focus to increase our capacity as quickly as possible, says Mikael Högberg, press officer at Avarn.
How to think as a traveler?
The long queues have caused concern among travelers, which has led to many arriving at the airport well in advance. Some are already on site eight hours before departure, and it is in far too good time according to Swedavia, which advises travelers to check with their airline.
– It can be crowded because you arrive too early. Therefore, it is important to check with your airline when check-in opens and arrive then, says Laurin.
“Takes up space”
Karin Nyman, communications director at SAS, is in the same line. Arrive at the airport on time – but not too soon. SAS recommends three hours before departure.
– What makes the situation more difficult is that people arrive in far too good a time. Those who will travel much later take up space for those who need to leave early.
Nyman says that their check-in works well and that long queues rarely occur. Security control is the bottleneck, she says.
Travel expert Lottie Knutson goes so far as to advise travelers against booking flights from Arlanda. It is not as bad at other airports in Sweden, she says Swedens radio.
– If you have not booked, I would absolutely avoid Arlanda, because it is basically uncomfortable and will probably remain so for a while, she continues.
During the week, terminal 4 will be taken into use, which will increase capacity at Arlanda. Here is a picture from terminal 5. New alarms daily
At what times are the queues the longest?
– There can be high pressure during mornings and weekends. In the morning we know that there are many who travel, it can also be in the afternoon. We still flag because it can be a high pressure at other times as well. It is difficult to say exactly how long the queues will be, says Ellen Laurin.
What does it look like elsewhere?
It is not only Arlanda Airport that has problems. New alarms are received daily about congested airports around the world due to staff shortages.
Spanish media have previously reported that 500 Spanish police will be deployed at the twelve busiest airports in the country to relieve the pressure. To minimize the number of people at Heathrow in London, the airport is now trying to enter into a dialogue with several airlines to limit the number of passengers per flight.
Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye has previously said Financial Times that he believes it could take 12-18 months for the aviation industry to recover from the corona pandemic.