Copenhagen Airport (CPH) said extensive checkpoint lines on several days this month were related to a regulatory order from Danish authorities that forced CPH to make security adjustments.
Reports of checkpoint delays at CPH have become common over the last three weeks, with passengers waiting for up to an hour, posting photos on social media of extended queues. Hundreds of passengers have missed flights and had to be rebooked, according to airlines, including SAS Scandinavian Airlines.
CPH said in an Oct. 28 statement that the airport received a regulatory order on Oct. 6 from the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority related to security. “The order took effect on Oct. 8 and resulted in additional measures being introduced at the airport’s security checkpoints,” CPH said.
The details of the order were not disclosed, but the airport said the measures “have made the screening process take longer.”
The order required more staff at security checkpoints, according to the airport, which said it “underestimated the staffing required.”
The airport said the number of screening staff was “sufficient” on the “vast majority [of] days,” but acknowledged it was inadequate on Oct. 8, 22, 23 and 24.
“There were periods of long waiting times,” CPH said. “This resulted in a poor experience for passengers at the airport. This is, of course, not satisfactory, and we are very sorry that passengers had this experience.”
CPH said it remains “safe to fly from Copenhagen Airport,” adding that it welcomed “the authorities proactively identifying matters that help maintain a consistently high level of safety. This enables us to adjust the airport’s security procedures in a timely manner.”
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