The problem of luggage lanes and endless queues at the check-in offices at Henri Coanda Airport

The holidays are over, and Romanians are starting to move to their homes in other countries. We are talking about that diaspora, which has over 4 million Romanians. Many of them arrive in Romania only at Easter and Christmas. These days, the main news was about the crowded traffic at the borders, but also about the crowding at airports.

And it all ended on January 3, 2020, when hundreds of Romanians sat in unending queues at check-in desks. It's normal to stand in queues when thousands of passengers want to leave the country. But the nerves begin to spread when something doesn't work at the airport infrastructure.

In the first part of the day, hundreds of passengers were forced to stand by the baggage bag at Henri Coanda Airport, Bucharest. The main airport of Romania, the main gateway to the country, had problems with the luggage band.

The official press release given by Henri Coandă International Airport

During the first part of the day of January 3, 2020, at Henri Coanda Airport there were crowds at check-in desks, especially due to the large number of hold luggage handed over by passengers. There were many, above the level of an ordinary day. Under these conditions, although no faults were detected in the luggage conveyor systems. They operated intermittently, as a result of incorrect overloading and loading by the handling agents' personnel. In addition, there were repeated voltage drops on the electricity grid supplying the airport, which resulted in minor interruptions of other systems in the terminal. We mention that the power supply of vital systems is also provided with generators, so that they operate without interruptions. We also note that there were no significant delays in the races.

Good! I understand that the airport is not ready to process thousands of passengers per hour in the first part of the day. Too many flights, too many passengers, crack systems. Well then why were the flight slots approved?

Moving on, I as a passenger do I come? I paid the ticket, I paid the right to carry a luggage hold or two. 99% of passengers comply with the dimensions and weights imposed by the airlines. Well, then, where would the problem be?

The release also blames the handling agents, as they would not use the tape correctly. But what do I do to them? Do I sit on it and brake? Do I put luggage in an Indian string? Do I make pyramids from luggage? According to the information received from the passengers at the airport, these agents came to luggage with their hands because no luggage trolleys were to be found.

Lack of investments and poor maintenance of systems

And now I'm sitting and wondering. But how can tens of thousands of passengers per hour process airports in other corners of the world? Or did he have better, better bands? Ok, do they have more terminals? Are they not as crowded as at Bucharest airport?

Let me tell you how I do things. Problems with the luggage band appeared in extended terminal (the one opened in 2012). Since 2012 and so far there has been little investment in infrastructure. And obviously, not even the luggage conveyor belt thinks that it has benefited from modernization. And when investments are lacking, the results are visible today. But it is easier to blame others and victimize.

If this situation were an isolated case, I may have overcome the problem today. But no, problems at Henri Coandă International Airport are common. In September 2019, several systems have failed because of a 0,4 kV automatic switch from a transformer station. About X-ray of the disaster at Otopeni Airport we discuss another occasion.

It's easier to blame others

Through October, the director of the National Airports Company Bucharest gave to the handling companies and mention the following:

"We have had discussions, in the last two months, with each handling agent, we sent them notifications and penalties for the activity performed. With these notifications we asked them to improve their car park by mid-year, have at least Euro 6 buses, for the safety and comfort of passengers, and that they have to improve their luggage processing times ”, said George Alexandru Ivan, in an intervention on Digi 24.

Well, how to improve the times for baggage processing, when the infrastructure provided is "tired"? It is desired to increase the number of passengers at Henri Coandă Airport, but obviously no investments are made in this direction. As proof that the luggage band fades to a few more passengers present at the airport simultaneously. I remember with horror how I stayed almost an hour to take the hold baggage on an internal flight, which took 45 minutes. YES, an hour I waited for 10 people for 10 luggage and this was when the plane was parked near the terminal.

Dear CNAB representatives, before victimizing and blaming others, take rapid modernization measures. And up to the new terminal, upgrade and maintain existing systems, make things more efficient. Do something with the car parks, which have some mesozoic charging systems. Do something with the traffic around the airport, which has become hellish. Nor do I want to open the topic on the lack of investment in recent years. We give in others!

I respect the work done by many at Henri Coanda Airport, but I would appreciate it even more if they put more pressure on the management to do something to upgrade the infrastructure.