2024-07-04 08:59:21
CTK
Updated 2. 7. 2024 14:55
Václav Havel Prague Airport has problems with baggage check-in. According to airport spokesperson Klára Divíšková, the reason is heavy holiday traffic. According to her, luggage loads for departures were given priority, and the airport sends suitcases to the final destinations on the nearest flights. This delays the delivery of luggage to passengers arriving in Prague. Passengers can fill out a claim form to get their luggage home.
Passengers can wait up to several hours for their luggage in Prague, said Divíšková. “Therefore, we advise passengers not to wait at the airport to fill out a claim form, go home and the handling company will then send them the suitcases,” she said. People can fill out the complaint form at the airport complaint counter or on the airline’s website, which can be accessed via a QR code in the customs area, she said.
“In the following days, we recommend passengers to have the most necessary medicines and hygiene items with them on board the plane,” added Divíšková. At 3:00 p.m., the airport will also open the telephone line 220 111 444 until further notice, which can be contacted by passengers who have not received their luggage at their arrival destination.
According to Divíšková, the reason for the complications is a combination of air traffic congestion, long delays and a sudden lack of people in the handling company that takes care of luggage during peak hours. “This is due to the fact that real traffic is higher than what was predicted,” said Divíšková.
Divíšková did not comment on the question of how many employees the handling company has at the airport. According to her, the company continues to recruit employees. “Airport administrative staff are now helping in the sorting room and with claims,” she added.
According to Divíšková, the airport handles 450 flights a day, and the problem with luggage concerns nine flights between Sunday and Tuesday morning. “It’s a fraction of the passengers who fly on vacation,” she said. According to Divíšková, roughly 30 percent of the luggage left at the Prague airport is currently on its way to its owners.
Baggage at Prague Airport is handled by the subsidiary handling company Prague Airport Czech Airlines Handling. On Monday, the airport warned of possible delays in baggage collection due to heavy traffic. The airport handled 178,550 passengers on the first holiday weekend, from Friday to Sunday, 11 percent more than last year. Flights over Europe have been getting delayed in recent days due to air traffic control in European airspace, the biggest problems arose over the weekend on connections with Turkey.