Despite a recent positive CAA report about Edinburgh Airport, Sebastian Allaby describes his unhappiness over service

Calmly and peacefully the tram trundled into Edinburgh Airport. It was probably around 5.30pm on Sunday, 24 June. It was a pleasantly warm, tranquil day. And we had had a wonderful holiday in Scotland.

We went to check in our luggage, my wife and I. Our flight was FR8824 to Stansted scheduled to depart at 19:35. But we were unsuccessful in operating the machine. I ventured to ask one of the staff, who was presumably tasked to help passengers accomplish the necessary procedure.

I was quite unprepared and indeed taken aback by the willful and spiteful torrent of abuse and sarcasm we received. I can’t quite flesh out her words, cloaked in a contemptuous and haughty demeanour, but suffice it to say I didn’t expect to be spoken to in that manner.

Apparently I was to ignore the warning the computer was displaying and just accept it was malfunctioning. This was not exactly reassuring. This behaviour was unnerving and also quite uncalled for – I knew myself to be more sinned against than sinning. Her eyes sparkled and bristled with the joy of mockery. She seemed thrilled with this opportunity to flagellate yet another unsuspecting customer. She appeared to be verily bingeing on it, as though, for her, this was a perk of the job.

The luggage has been booked in, and we move on. The lady guarding the check-in desk had that glare of defiance that feared at all costs breaking into a smile and there was an odour of menace that invariably subdues pleasantries.

Phew, we made it this time unscathed. Then onto security. Not even the most indifferent or callous cowhand would treat a herd in this manner. The air was harsh and heavy with belligerence and threatening shouts, only the cattle prods were missing.

Wow, we made it through in one piece, ears scorching. We sought refuge and respite care with coffee in Costa, then went to the gate to catch our already delayed flight.

We were invited to muster and wait. All the while the tannoy announced numerous gate changes and I surmised that, probably, the airport authorities were doing their bit to ease the obesity epidemic, helping people get fit and lose weight by encouraging them to scurry to and fro. Would we be next?

But no, there was another pleasure in store for us – waiting 40 to 45 minutes in a stairwell to get on board a plane we could see yards away.

And the huffing, puffing, resentful member of staff with her walkie-talkie was neither informative, pleasant nor reassuring. Apparently passengers were still on board the plane because buses had not turned up to take them off.

Then we got on ... and departed, leaving behind an alarmingly harsh atmosphere in an aggressive airport not fit for purpose. Got back home and did some reading.

In The Scotsman on 26 August 2017, Gordon Dewar, the chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, was quoted as saying: “We know if you make people wait for 20 minutes and don’t treat them very well that’s ... a really silly thing to do.”

This seems laughable based on our experience at Edinburgh Airport, a place where unbelievably rude, arrogant and aggressive staff seem to have the whip hand and rule the roost.

The culture of bullying passengers can only thrive when permitted to do so. Down-trodden people are less