Easter airport mayhem
AIRPORT terminals are once again heaving as Aussies take to the skies for the Easter long weekend.
Airport chaos has reigned for the past week, with long lines, delayed or cancelled flights, and missing luggage just some of the headaches customers have had to deal with.
There were already delays at Sydney Airport on Friday before the first flight at 6am, while three Qantas flights were cancelled at Melbourne’s
Tullamarine Airport due to staff shortages.
These problems have led to airports and airlines advising travellers to turn up two hours before a domestic flight, and three hours before an international flight.
An estimated 82,000 passengers passed through Sydney Airport’s domestic terminals on Thursday – the first time it had experienced more than 80,000 customers in two years.
On Friday, 79,000 passengers were expected to travel through the airport, with a further 190,000 to follow over the next three days.
While the lines are still long and busy, reports in recent days have suggested they are moving more quickly for some, especially if they do not need to check in luggage.
But there have still been consistent issues of flights being delayed, cancelled and bags being left behind, causing increasing frustrations for customers.
Beyond an influx of Australians looking to take advantage of the open borders and go on a holiday, the delays have been partly due to a shortage of airport staff.
Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert there was a level of absenteeism among workers due to Covid-19 and isolation requirements.
“There is no avoiding the fact that significant queuing may occur over Easter,” Mr Culbert said on Wednesday.
“We continue to have up to 20 per cent Covid-related staff absences on any given day and we’re working to rebuild our workforce in a really tight job market.”
But airports are also looking to “rebuild” their workforce post-covid, which they struggled and failed to do in the lead-up to Easter.
Certis, Sydney Airport’s security contractor, is 30 per cent below its pre-covid-19 staffing levels. “While they are getting people in the door, it is taking longer than we had hoped due to the incredibly tight labour market,” Mr Culbert said.
“The roles that are being recruited are skilled, specialist roles and we won’t compromise on safety and security.”
Sydney Airport attracted criticism from the United Workers Union on Thursday after the Sydney Morning Herald reported security staff had been offered $1000 bonuses if they worked every rostered shift from April 14–26.