23.06.2006
Press release from Copenhagen Airports A/S
CPH: Changed procedures will result in unacceptably long queues

Over the past few days, Copenhagen Airport (CPH) has received requests from the Danish Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) for changed security procedures. Yesterday, the effect of the new requirement that passengers be searched by hand resulted in unacceptably long queues at the security checkpoints. The reason is that, because of the requirement for changed procedures, 50% more staff is needed at the security checkpoints. However, it takes six months to recruit and train security staff in order to meet the regulatory requirements.

Copenhagen is subject to ongoing regulatory inspection of our finely meshed security systems in order to ensure that we meet the EU requirements. As late as on 6 April, Flemming Hansen, the Danish Minister for Transport and Energy, answered a question from the Danish Parliamentary Traffic Committee as follows: “The CAA’s inspections of the individual inspection points have not resulted in any comments on the quality of the security equipment used, the performance of the inspections, or the design of the points of inspection”. Since then, the quality level has been maintained. However, the authorities have now notified Copenhagen Airport that we must implement new and very time-consuming procedures. The new demands were made in the middle of the summer period.

Copenhagen Airports A/S has advised the regulatory authorities that we disagree with their assessment, and that the changed procedures will result in a completely unacceptable situation for our passengers. The CAA’s sudden announcement in the press today comes as a surprise to CPH since CPH and the authorities are pursuing a dialogue to find good solutions. Among them, CPH has proposed to the authorities that we temporarily employ trained staff from Sweden or national security companies, but we have not yet received any answer from the authorities. Copenhagen Airports A/S has doubled the number of security staff over the past three years. New staff are currently being trained, and the recruitment of new staff is continuing.

(Press contact: Jan Aagaard, Copenhagen Airports A/S, tel +45 3231 2800)