Belfast International-2
Join Date: Apr 2008
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It is regularly a shambles to be frank. The last few weeks, even the priorty queue has been back at the barcode scanner at the times I’ve been through.
From the BBC article:
”Earlier this week, Belfast International Airport urged passengers "to allow two hours to process through Central Search before heading to Airside departure gates".
Its Head of Security, Nabeel Gill, said it was "dealing with unprecedented numbers at the airport, which means it will take extra time to reach departure gates".“
How about no, instead sort out your mess. Peoples travel days are already long enough without having to add two hours because the airport can’t handle the traffic it has worked so hard to generate.
So as not to just sound like a rant with no solutions...as a customer I can see clearly two things that need to change:
1. Dedicated areas for people to pack up again
2. Staff patrolling and moving on those people who stand and re-dress as the trays exit scanners all while blocking others from passing through.
From the BBC article:
”Earlier this week, Belfast International Airport urged passengers "to allow two hours to process through Central Search before heading to Airside departure gates".
Its Head of Security, Nabeel Gill, said it was "dealing with unprecedented numbers at the airport, which means it will take extra time to reach departure gates".“
How about no, instead sort out your mess. Peoples travel days are already long enough without having to add two hours because the airport can’t handle the traffic it has worked so hard to generate.
So as not to just sound like a rant with no solutions...as a customer I can see clearly two things that need to change:
1. Dedicated areas for people to pack up again
2. Staff patrolling and moving on those people who stand and re-dress as the trays exit scanners all while blocking others from passing through.
Last edited by EGAC is Better; 5th May 2018 at 16:38.
Join Date: May 2011
Location: antrim
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Belfast International Airport apologises over security delays - BBC News
2 hours to get through does seem a bit much, any time I have travelled through the London airports security is usually slick and professional. Think its fair to say they would be marginally busier than Antrim International!
In their defence though, its nice weather in Norn Iron for a change, bank holiday weekend as well. Perhaps a few sickies amongst security staff coupled with all flights at max capacity?
2 hours to get through does seem a bit much, any time I have travelled through the London airports security is usually slick and professional. Think its fair to say they would be marginally busier than Antrim International!
In their defence though, its nice weather in Norn Iron for a change, bank holiday weekend as well. Perhaps a few sickies amongst security staff coupled with all flights at max capacity?
Join Date: Apr 2008
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There is an argument that should also have been planned for. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise if all flights were full.
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Larne, UK
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Join Date: Jul 2009
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Of course it makes sense. If you can't or won't scale to handle demand in the peak season then the demand shifts to somewhere that can, like the big aerodrome 100 miles down the road.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
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Of course it makes sense. If you can't or won't scale to handle demand in the peak season then the demand shifts to somewhere that can, like the big aerodrome 100 miles down the road.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
The CAA has changed the goal posts A LOT in the last 6 months, with the new procedures that MUST be followed, it does slow everything down, there was a visit just 2 weeks ago, which yet again, added more workload and required more staff.. 20-30 staff have left in the last few months, some long term.. and they can't replace and get someone up to speed in a week....out of the 50 that they advertised, they will probably lose 10 in the first month due to pay / shifts / workload. At the minute, they are in second place for staff turnover at the airport, Swissport being first.
I don't work at the airport anymore, but I pass through BHD / BFS multiple times per month, and I have seen the change in what the staff are expected to do.. add it all in with a busy weekend and no doubt, i would put an estimate on up to 20% of passengers did not follow the basic rules before walking through the metal detector / allowing items to go through x-ray... it was going to happen.. now hopefully they can sit down and work it out and have the staff in place before end of June.
You can't compare BFS to DUB... DUB has far more traffic, bound by different regulations for security (these may be more or less strict, i don't know), better technology and flow, no doubt the security contract is more lucrative and means they can have more staff etc
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Of course it makes sense. If you can't or won't scale to handle demand in the peak season then the demand shifts to somewhere that can, like the big aerodrome 100 miles down the road.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
It makes sense to spend money to make money. It doesn't make sense to hold money and lose money as a result. This applies to any service-based enterprise.
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2 hours is just down to bad planning especially on a bank holiday.
Join Date: Apr 2012
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No it wasn't. It is far to easy to make a blasé statement like that. That is half the problem. The airport had put additonal measures in place and were let down by a contractor. Of course there is no explaining that to the public, they just see an airport and can't understand why arriving at 0615 for a 0700 flight is madness (for example). Now I expect to see that from the gen pop. but I had expected you guys on here to understand the realistic picture a bit more.
Join Date: Apr 2008
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No it wasn't. It is far to easy to make a blasé statement like that. That is half the problem. The airport had put additonal measures in place and were let down by a contractor. Of course there is no explaining that to the public, they just see an airport and can't understand why arriving at 0615 for a 0700 flight is madness (for example). Now I expect to see that from the gen pop. but I had expected you guys on here to understand the realistic picture a bit more.
There is also a bigger picture here. How much revenue did the airport lose as a result of people standing in security queues? eg. What if all those people were going to spend Ł5 each airside and didn’t get a chance because they were stuck in a queue? Its bad news.
You have to invest to make money and that, from a regular travellers perspective, just doesn’t appear to be happening.
Is anything being done to protect the priority security lines during these busy times? Or, are they also being swamped by people paying at the top of the stairs? I have an annual pass for fast track for a reason...that reason is so I can turn up with minimal time before my flight and reasonably expect to make it. If that reason goes away, I will re-assess whether or not to move my business to City where possible. That is also bad news if a percentage of the regulars who provide a constant revenue stream start to think the same way.
I have little sympathy for the managers whise job it is to organise this stuff. I work in an industry where systems redundancy is a key part of business strategy. There is no excuse for an airport making record profits to skrimp on a relative few quid to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Last edited by EGAC is Better; 6th May 2018 at 16:49.
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I'm sure BFS will learn from this. I don't buy the argument about DUB though, not so many years ago their security lines were horrendous with people queuing for over 1 hour even 2 at times I've seen it myself. Its what happens when demand outstrips supply, BFS has had a lot of growth in a short space of time, last summer I was sharing a table with 3 other sets of people, some were sat on the floor it was that crowded in there, DUB had the same issues before terminal 2, FR expansion resulted in a facility way too small..
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Its not like hiring someone for a shop that can start in a week..
I understand that things go wrong but it must have been planned on a shoestring if, as you say, a few people failed to turn up and it caused a mess.
Is anything being done to protect the priority security lines during these busy times? Or, are they also being swamped by people paying at the top of the stairs? I have an annual pass for fast track for a reason...that reason is so I can turn up with minimal time before my flight and reasonably expect to make it. If that reason goes away, I will re-assess whether or not to move my business to City where possible. That is also bad news if a percentage of the regulars who provide a constant revenue stream start to think the same way.
The Airport and ICTS did warn people before the incident.. and I do believe that the timing of this was a few days after the CAA audit.. which moved the goal posts again which required more staff to meet requirements.
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/b...-call-14599147
Playing with fire using a priority pass for that reason... I know the mindset you are using.. I am guilty of hoping for the same if I am on a tight schedule.. but its risky.... it was only swamped due to desperation for a period of a few hours.
Refer to the T&Cs of the priority pass
https://www.belfastairport.com/media...y-lane-tcs.pdf
While 99% of the time it'll be fine, its the 1% that will catch you out..
Hopefully things will get sorted in the next few weeks and since it was out in the media about the delays.. people will leave extra time.. if they don't over the next few weeks I have no sympathy.. I will be allowing an extra 30-40 mins over the next few weeks.
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I see they are trying to recruit another 50 for security. However, at the current level of unemployment we have, that will not be easy, especially a job on minimum everything. Staff turnover is a very expensive game. If they want to recruit and retain, I'm afraid they will be forced to improve the package, otherwise this will happen often especially now that the airport is very busy. When you are passing through it, as I do often, it is noticeably busier.
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Lets just back the buss up there lads. Airlines want everything for next to nothing including handling then move the goal posts during the contract period putting more pressure on GHA's the world over. Swissport is not a monopoly at at BFS or indeed BHD. CCS is a GHA they just dont have any contracts at BHD. Menzies for example walked away from BHD having got the heads up that NY pulling out and EI contract going to Swissport. The same in BFS. If the carrier is contracted to a GHA and it moves into BFS who is to say DNATA for example dont move in or Menzies comes back.
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I see they are trying to recruit another 50 for security. However, at the current level of unemployment we have, that will not be easy, especially a job on minimum everything. Staff turnover is a very expensive game. If they want to recruit and retain, I'm afraid they will be forced to improve the package, otherwise this will happen often especially now that the airport is very busy. When you are passing through it, as I do often, it is noticeably busier.
I do somewhat agree that it is playing with fire tigger2k8 (If I’m at the airport less than an hour before my flight I am running late) but I also do believe the airport has a duty, in these exceptional circumstances, to add some protection for those who do travel regularly for business and have paid an annual fee for services including fast track. It leaves a sour taste in the mouth to be told I should get up earlier to accomodate poor management because the airport can’t handle the start of the bucket and spade season.
All these customer cannot have been a surprise...management need to front up and find a way to deal with it even if it means flying in people from elsewhere temporariliy.
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No it wasn't. It is far to easy to make a blasé statement like that. That is half the problem. The airport had put additonal measures in place and were let down by a contractor. Of course there is no explaining that to the public, they just see an airport and can't understand why arriving at 0615 for a 0700 flight is madness (for example). Now I expect to see that from the gen pop. but I had expected you guys on here to understand the realistic picture a bit more.
The CEO should of called BHD to send up some staff!!!
There is only so much planning you can do with a lack of available / skilled staff and procedures change not to mention working time regulations, I feel like this point has been overlooked already in my post.
Its not like hiring someone for a shop that can start in a week..
Its not like hiring someone for a shop that can start in a week..
I hope BFS is not going into a period of low fees to driver passengers and fail to put adequate infrastructure in place.
I see they are trying to recruit another 50 for security. However, at the current level of unemployment we have, that will not be easy, especially a job on minimum everything. Staff turnover is a very expensive game. If they want to recruit and retain, I'm afraid they will be forced to improve the package, otherwise this will happen often especially now that the airport is very busy. When you are passing through it, as I do often, it is noticeably busier.
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Lets just back the buss up there lads. Airlines want everything for next to nothing including handling then move the goal posts during the contract period putting more pressure on GHA's the world over. Swissport is not a monopoly at at BFS or indeed BHD. CCS is a GHA they just dont have any contracts at BHD. Menzies for example walked away from BHD having got the heads up that NY pulling out and EI contract going to Swissport. The same in BFS. If the carrier is contracted to a GHA and it moves into BFS who is to say DNATA for example dont move in or Menzies comes back.
Swissport took an aggressive stance on GH in BFS and BHD 4 years ago, they undercut to push other handlers out with the intention of increasing prices at renewals.
Any new handling agent will need millions of pounds in investment from equipment, office space, training... it could take years before a profit is turned, if the contract gets renewed... a risk that not many are willing to take.
Passengers may be partly to blame but I fail to see what sort of planning they put in place which left them down and ended up with 2 hour queues. One person off sick couldn't of caused such a mess. How many lanes were operating on Saturday?
The CEO should of called BHD to send up some staff!!!
The CEO should of called BHD to send up some staff!!!
Not sure if the CEO question is genuine or not?
G4S runs security at BHD, ICTS at BFS. So not an option, even if it was ICTS at BHD the process to get someone up in short notice and to get the relevant passes isn't easy / fast.. especially at the weekend.
Last edited by tigger2k8; 6th May 2018 at 17:56.
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Lets just back the buss up there lads. Airlines want everything for next to nothing including handling then move the goal posts during the contract period putting more pressure on GHA's the world over. Swissport is not a monopoly at at BFS or indeed BHD. CCS is a GHA they just dont have any contracts at BHD. Menzies for example walked away from BHD having got the heads up that NY pulling out and EI contract going to Swissport. The same in BFS. If the carrier is contracted to a GHA and it moves into BFS who is to say DNATA for example dont move in or Menzies comes back.