Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is calling on the Walloon Government to "take urgent action" to eliminate the shortage of security personnel at Charleroi Airport. Ahead of the busy Easter weekend, the airline is calling for the deployment of the military.
The start of the Easter holidays is a very busy period at Charleroi Airport: according to Ryanair, 2,000 passengers missed their flights in the first two weeks of April due to long lines at security checks – with waiting times of up to 90 minutes and queues all the way to the car park.
"It is absurd that Charleroi's management has known since Christmas that they would not have enough security staff to open all security lanes but have still not taken any action," Neal McMahon, Ryanair's Chief Operating Officer (COO), told The Brussels Times.
"Over the last two weeks alone, over 2,000 passengers have missed their flights unnecessarily and suffered excessive security queues of one to two hours," he added. "And all because the management at Charleroi Airport has not ensured adequate staff are in place to open all 11 security lanes."
'Unacceptable'
Currently, only about half of the airport's 11 security lanes are normally operational due to staff shortages – a situation Ryanair has described as "unacceptable". Similar problems were experienced over the Christmas period.
At the start of the long Easter weekend, McMahon stressed that the problem will only worsen with the huge increase in passengers. "This is one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel. We need all 11 security lanes to be open."
When contacted by The Brussels Times, Charleroi Airport declined to comment on Ryanair's statement. A spokesperson did specify that the airport's security staff is employed through an external company, not by the airport itself. They further referred the matter to the Walloon Government.
Chaos during strike action of security personnel at Charleroi Airport in 2022. Credit: Belga/Virginie Lefour
In the past, Ryanair has been able to reschedule people who missed their flights due to long security queues to later ones, but it fears this will not be possible this weekend. "For Easter, there are more flights, higher passenger loads and fewer spare seats."
Now, the airline – one of the major companies operating from Charleroi – is calling on the Walloon Government to "urgently" work on a solution. It proposes two solutions: either the airport should appoint a second security provider to open all lanes, or it should deploy trained military personnel.
'Not good enough'
"It is too late to hire more staff now, we need a solution today. A second security provider or the army are the only options," McMahon stressed. While he said that Charleroi Airport told Ryanair its management has been "looking into all options" and "trying its best," he added that this was "not good enough" and that the airport's management has been "fairly incompetent."
"This issue is not new. It beggars belief that they have been unable to fix it. They are aware of it, and it should be well fixed by now. So now, we are asking the Walloon Government to intervene," McMahon added.
On its website, Charleroi Airport advises travellers to arrive at the airport three hours before their flight – particularly due to school holidays in Flanders, France and the Netherlands. Additionally, it urged passengers to come by public transport, shuttle buses or taxis as airport car parks will be full.
The airport recently implemented a new passenger flow system based on their airline and profile, with or without checked baggage. Additionally, more staff have been recruited to guide and inform passengers.
'Key economic player'
Contacted by The Brussels Times, the Walloon Airports Minister Cécile Neven (MR) stated that she had "taken note" of Ryanair’s comments.
"As we confirmed to the airline, airport security services are a major concern for Wallonia. Therefore, it is important that they meet the needs expressed, both qualitatively and quantitatively." She added that this concern had been shared with Charleroi Airport and BSCA Security, and several measures have been taken in recent weeks to address the identified shortcomings.
On Wednesday 16 April, the Board of Directors of BSCA Security decided to launch a public procurement contract to appoint a second service provider "to immediately provide the airport with security staff to complement those of the current operator, which is facing difficulties related to absenteeism."
This decision "confirms the airport's commitment to providing optimal service to both its passengers and its partners," said Neven.
Charleroi Airport is "a key economic player" in the Walloon Region, she added. "This collective mobilisation is essential to offer the airport an optimistic and reliable outlook, in the interest of everyone."
