View Full Version : Chaos at Hamburg
bar none
13th May 2010, 11:47
There are reports in the media about chaos at Hamburg airport involving Fulham/Athletico Madrid supporters trying to return home.
Anybody any idea as to what happened?
How could an event like this have caught the German authorities by surprise?
Avman
13th May 2010, 16:08
Crazy if they allowed both sets of supporters to use the same airport. Depending on the teams involved, most countries usually split them between two different airports.
pwalhx
13th May 2010, 16:11
Not heard of them using different airports but if I recall correctly when the Champions League final was in Manchester they used different terminals.
Been a while since I was at Hamburg Airport, dont remember it being that big maybe just too many people leaving over a short period?
MerchantVenturer
13th May 2010, 18:52
pwalhx seems to have it about right.
According to the BBC - see link to its report below - the airport was overwhelmed by the sheer number of supporters involved.
BBC News - Fulham fans face airport delays after Europa final (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8679287.stm)
Avman
13th May 2010, 21:03
Belgium, The Netherlands and even Germany have in the past used different airports (not talking only about Finals btw).
I understand that for major European finals that every effort is made to use more than one airport to cope with the large influx of supporters - even when Hampden Park hosted the Champions League Final a few years back, GLA and PIK airports were used.
For last night's final in Hamburg, did they use Lubeck at all? Or even Bremen? (which is, relatively speaking, not too far from Hamburg).
Airbus_a321
14th May 2010, 08:35
..a shame for HAM airport, just below any "international" standard. a shame for the German (dis)organisation.
RWY blocked for parking, all pax in one security aerea etc..
how to make better see e.g. Manchester, with 2 different terminals.
SpringHeeledJack
14th May 2010, 10:16
Well, to be fair there ARE 2 terminals there, it's just that after the 2 separate security channels, you are disgorged into the one (very long) concourse that leads onto all the gates.....It was a bit naiive of the authorities to allow such a coming together, especially as the fans were coming directly from the emotionally-charged atmosphere of the stadium. All it needs is one or two idiots and off it goes.
There is enough parking in front of the Lufthansa Technik areas where they could have stashed many of the visiting planes and as Fuhlsbuttel isn't exactly busy after 8pm it makes me wonder how our teutonic planners messed it up.
SHJ