24.6.2009
Copenhagen Airport is ready for the peak summer travel days

Copenhagen Airport is ready for the busy summer season with its many holiday travellers. On Thursday, 25 June 2009, passengers will be met with entertainment and surprise events at the terminals when the airport celebrates the “Great Travel Day” in collaboration with airlines and travel agencies.

The Danes are preparing for their holidays, and Copenhagen Airport is ready to give them a good start to their journey. In collaboration with SAS, Cimber Sterling, Star Tour and Thomas Cook, the airport will be celebrating the start of the busy summer season with “Great Travel Day” events on Thursday, 25 June 2009, when holiday-bound passengers will be met with entertainment and surprise events in the airport terminals.

With the “Great Travel Day” events, Copenhagen Airport opens a hectic season with more than 30,000 departing passengers and almost as many arriving passengers on the busiest days of the summer. Overall, five million passengers are expected to flow through the airport during the months of June, July and August.

“This year, the summer will be a great package holiday season. Flights are totally sold out for three main reasons: the disbursement of SP funds continues to fuel demand; supply is limited due to the financial crisis so flights sell out faster; and the Danes have no confidence in the Danish summer weather. Although we have already put in extra flights, they have sold out very quickly,” says Stig Elling, Sales Director of Star Tour.

Spies and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia also report fully booked flights. “There used to be a concept called ‘cancellation trips’, meaning that people could go to the airport and buy a cheap package holiday. That is not possible any more. The charter flights are fully booked during the school holidays, and there may be several days between people cancelling a trip for the event of the year – the summer holidays in sunny Southern Europe – due to illness,” says Torben Andersen, Information Manager of Spies and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia.

Flexible passage through the airport
In order to ensure that the many passengers will enjoy the start to their holidays, Copenhagen Airport has put in extra resources for security screening and baggage sorting. Passengers can also help make their passage through the airport as quick and trouble-free as possible.

“SAS advises our passengers to check in from home via sas.dk, via mobile phone, or at one of our many check-in kiosks at the airport during the busy summer period. This helps everybody pass faster through the airport and get a good start to their journey. If you have any special needs, special baggage or if you have not checked in from home, we advise you to arrive at the airport earlier than normal," says Per Møller Jensen, Sales and Marketing Director of SAS Danmark.

“Financial crisis or not; the Danes have not cut their summer holiday event out of their budget. We expect a busy summer period at Copenhagen Airport,” says Signe Thorup, Communications Manager, Cimber Sterling.

Summer site with valuable tips and advice
Concurrently with the “Great Travel Day” events, the airport’s special summer site on cph.dk will be launched containing information and options for holiday travellers. On the site, passengers can check how busy the airport is expected to be at their time of departure and find valuable advice on parking, recommended arrival times at the airport, check-in, security screening, facilities at the airport and special offers for children and families travelling with children.

“Our summer site features the most important information and the best tips for holiday travellers, so that everybody can be well prepared before they go to the airport.  Moreover, passengers can sign up for our free e-mail and text messaging services, which can help make their passage through the airport even easier,” says Susanne Frank, Passenger Manager at Copenhagen Airport.