Prague Airport recommends arriving 2.5 hours before departure
The airport's greatest need is for security screening, passenger check-in and aircraft loading and unloading staff.
There is a concern at Prague Airport that the summer return of passengers after the covid-19 pandemic will not be without capacity problems. As a result, the recommendation is that passengers should arrive as early as 2.5 hours before departure to European destinations, and three hours before departure for long-haul flights, which is an unprecedented margin.
The number of checked-in passengers is increasing across Europe following the pandemic. According to a survey by Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, it rose by 36% between February and March alone, a six-fold increase year-on-year. Concerns that airports will not be able to cope with the influx of passengers have materialized in recent weeks, particularly in Amsterdam. Schiphol airport has descended into chaos due to staff shortages and dozens of flights have had to be canceled.
Prague Airport, which is also struggling with staff shortages, announced today that there may be delays. In the critical years 2020 and 2021, it has laid off up to 600 administrative and operational staff (including subsidiaries). The airport intends to rehire up to 200 employees, with dozens more on long-term temporary contracts this year.
The reason for this is the growth in passenger numbers. While 4.4 million passengers passed through the airport’s gates last year, the estimate for this year has already risen to 9.6 million. But the numbers fall far short of the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when almost 18 million people passed through the airport gates.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková.
foto Airport security check. Credit: Prague Airport