Applicant for worst airport
I live in Hamburg and for business reasons I have been flying in and out for over 40 years. HAMBURG AIRPORT always had the charme of a provincial airport and was never better than mediocre in handling passengers, but at least predictable in its mediocrity.
Since the Covid pandemic, however, it has been a disaster. Even today, 1 ½ years after the end of the pandemic, one sometimes has to wait 1 hour in line at the security checkpoint. I don't even want to start talking about the waiting times for baggage delivery. The management's lapidary explanation is always the same: it's so hard to find staff.
BS. All airports in Europe (except Berlin) have managed to get their operation back to normal. The rest of the world, even 3rd world countries, anyway.
And Hamburg? No change in sight. This is of course due to the completely incompetent management (who always praise themselves in interviews how great they do their job). Recently there was a change in the management. Berit Schmitz has joined the team. What did the lady do before? She was managing director of the Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft. There are lots of buses in that city, but no airport in sight (sarcasm...).
The complete management should be fired. But that certainly will never happen, given the entanglement with Hamburg politics. Poor Hamburg.
Former chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who gave his name to the airport and was famous for his organisational talent, will probably have turned over in his grave several times at such smug incompetence.
September 16, 2023
Unprompted review