Have you also experienced arriving at Nuuk Airport and standing in line for hours before it was your turn to put your belt and other items in the box on the conveyor belt at the security checkpoint? Then you are not alone.
On social media, several frustrated travelers have shared their experience of having to wait a very long time to get through airport security. As the queue for Air Greenland’s check-in grows at the same time, travelers are slowly squeezed together like herring in a barrel.
– Right now we are working with reduced staffing in our security check. We are working on hiring some new employees, but right now it is causing some extra waiting time, says Mikkel Bjarnø Lund, Head of Communications at Greenland Airports.
According to him, it is especially in the early morning hours that the challenges are greatest and the queues are longest.
– If there are some things missing, it may take longer to get everything going. Then it may happen that we open a little later than we actually should, he says.
Mikkel Bjarnø Lund does not go into what the specific “things” are about, but reiterates that they are experiencing challenges with staff shortages and that work is being done on the matter.
Back of the queue
It’s not just the queue at Nuuk Airport that’s long. The hiring process for new employees at the security checkpoint is also taking a long time. According to Mikkel Bjarnø Lund, it requires approval from several authorities before the employee ends up at the checkpoint at the airport.
– In addition to thorough education and training, there is also important, but time-consuming, bureaucratic work in relation to employment. We are dependent on other authorities before we can hire more employees, he says.
However, he cannot answer how long Greenland Airports itself will have to wait in the bureaucratic queue. Therefore, it is unclear when, especially early travelers, will be able to get through security checks at a steady pace again.
– We are working hard and focused on resolving the situation. We are pulling all the strings and turning over every stone. We hope that we can soon ensure a smoother travel experience from Nuuk Airport. We are very disappointed with the situation, he emphasizes.
A chain reaction
Since the opening of the international airport in Nuuk on November 28 last year, there have been several start-up problems. But you can’t open a new airport without challenges, explains Mikkel Bjarnø Lund.
– We are a new airport with new equipment and new processes. The fact that access to new employees has also been made extremely difficult is an unfortunate coincidence. But we cannot relax security, he says.
Despite the lack of staff, Greenland Airports is not holding back from taking on more tasks. Last month, they opened a new flight route between the USA and Greenland as well as a new SAS route from Copenhagen to Nuuk. But Mikkel Bjarnø Lund denies that there are too few hands to handle the new tasks.
– I don’t think so. Our employees work with commitment and focus and do a fantastic job at the airports. Again, it is an unfortunate coincidence of several factors that creates a special situation, he says.