Summer is upon us, and for many, that means a packed suitcase and a boarding pass in hand. Especially today.
Copenhagen Airport expects this to be the busiest travel day in the airport's history, with up to 123,000 passengers.
The Chief Operating Officer of Copenhagen Airport asks passengers to be patient if they are flying from the airport today.
Both the police and the airport have therefore increased staffing to reduce the risk of long queues.
So says Kristoffer Plenge-Brandt, Chief Operating Officer at Copenhagen Airport.
- A good piece of advice for travelers on such a big day is to bring a little patience. But it is clear that on the airport's busiest day, you might have to wait in a bit of a queue. However, we have plans for that, and we have increased staffing so that we are in the best possible position to handle it.
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Police: There will be queues
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The busy travel day coincides with the introduction of a new, more time-consuming system for passport control that some travelers must go through, due to an EU decision to digitize passport control. People traveling in and out of the Schengen area must now be registered digitally with a photo and fingerprints.
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The Schengen Cooperation
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All EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus are part of the Schengen cooperation.
Additionally, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein are also members.
The cooperation allows for free travel between member countries without passport control.
If you travel in and out of Schengen, e.g., to Turkey, the United Kingdom, or the USA, you must go through passport control.
And the new system has caused problems. Several times there have been hour-long queues at passport control since it was introduced, as it takes longer than the classic stamp in the passport.
Read also: Stricter border control in European airports has taken effect ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/skaerpet-graensekontrol-i-europaeiske-lufthavne-er-traadt-i-kraft )
Since July 4, the police have had more staff working at the airport, and they are continuously monitoring the situation today, which could be a record-breaking travel day, it is stated.
Read also: Long queues at Copenhagen Airport: Police send even more personnel ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/lange-koeer-i-koebenhavns-lufthavn-politi-sender-endnu-mere-mandskab )
- We are receiving assistance from other districts and units, among other things, and we have also hired additional passport consultants, so we are ready for the increased number of travelers, says Police Inspector Anders Rath of the Copenhagen Police.
But there will be queues during periods when many flights are taking off and landing at the same time, the police inspector predicts.
- As a traveler, you will experience waiting times, especially during peak periods when there are many flights arriving and departing at the same time.
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