Chaos at Cologne/Bonn Airport: Flights painted and high waiting times!

Chaos at Cologne/Bonn Airport: Flights painted and high waiting times!

The Cologne/Bonn Airport is affected by a significant personnel bottleneck on January 11, 2025, which leads to numerous flight cancellations. In particular, there have been regular delays in check-in and the security controls. Currently, some flights are completely unusual and further disorders in the operating process are expected. Passengers are urgently asked to find out about the status of their flight before their journey. Current information on unusual flights is available at 10 a.m.

The background for the situation at Cologne/Bonn Airport is not new. Already in March 2024 there was a warning strike by the Verdi union, which led to massive impairments of air traffic. Most of the flights can either be announced on this day or had to be canceled. Only a few flights could take off according to schedule. The warning strike at Lufthansa, which took place in the same period from March 7th to 9th, also had extensive effects on the airports in North Rhine-Westphalia.

passenger information and security controls

In order to improve the situation on the security controls, the airport offers a new option for passengers: they can book a personalized time window for security control free of charge. The booking is made via the "CGNGATOWAY" system, with time windows from 72 hours to 1 hour before departure are available every quarter hour, depending on the load. A separately accessible control track for gateway guests is available at the central security check in Terminal 1, which is observed for the booked time (+/- 10 minutes). The goal of this measure is a more uniform utilization of the security controls and a reduction in waiting times, such as koeln-bonn-airport.de describes.

In the past, the advantages of early information about flight status have been referred to. Especially with unpredictable events such as strikes, it is crucial to act in good time. In this way, passengers can request a replacement flight to their airline in the event of a flight failure. In this changeover, it should be noted that the replacement flight may take place at a later date. Unfortunately, such disorders are not only impractical, but also emotionally stressful for travelers who look forward to their flights.

legal aspects and passenger rights

With regard to the rights of passengers, it is important to know that the airlines are obliged to offer childcare services. These usually include free meals and drinks, especially if the waiting time is significant. On a replacement flight the following day, you should also take care of the hotel accommodation and transport to the hotel. If the airline refuses, the passengers themselves are responsible for ensuring their care and accommodation. It remains important to keep all documents, such as invoices and receipts, in order to claim claims.

According to the European Passenger Rights Ordinance, passengers are entitled to compensation services under certain circumstances that can vary between 250 and 600 euros. The amount of compensation depends on the distance between the departure and destination airport. It should also be noted that strikes of their own staff do not relieve the airline from their payment obligations. A judgment of the European Court of Justice of March 23, 2021 confirms that internal strike is not considered a "extraordinary fact". Travelers can also do without their flight and request reimbursement of their ticket prices, such as the