© Kim Altmann
Hundreds of passengers at Luxembourg Airport faced delays on Friday morning after a malfunctioning metal detector required everyone to undergo a second security check, disrupting flight schedules.
Major disruptions occurred at Luxembourg Airport on Friday morning, causing significant delays, according to information obtained by RTL. Everyone who had already gone through the security check on Friday morning had to do so a second time because of issues with the security system. Around 800 individuals were impacted by this incident. As a result, flights were unable to depart from Findel Airport during the early hours, as affected passengers were unable to board. At Luxair alone, over 20 flights have been affected by this issue.
The police confirmed the incident, and also stated that officers were present at the airport. According to police explanations, a malfunctioning metal detector in a security passageway necessitated a second round of checks for individuals who had already passed through.
Significant delays
Even though people had already passed through security early on Friday morning, passengers faced delays until after 9.30am as arrangements were made for a second check. By approximately 10am, authorities announced that the first flights were preparing for departure from Findel Airport, albeit with delays of up to four hours in some cases.
Police looking for passenger
At the scene, an eyewitness informed RTL journalists that the police had presented a photo of a person they were seeking. Upon enquiry, RTL received confirmation from the police press office regarding the search.
Authorities aimed to ensure that individuals who had passed through the checkpoint during the malfunction of the metal detector underwent a second inspection. To facilitate this, officers used surveillance camera footage from the airport.
According to a police spokesperson, no criminal intent was therefore suspected.
Technical glitch expected to have major consequences
Luxair was informed early Friday morning that there was a problem with the security checks at LuxAirport, specified the CEO of the national airline, Gilles Feith. "This has of course affected all flights from Findel Airport, including our flights," the Luxair CEO went on to say.
Efforts are underway to salvage as many morning flights as possible, specifically those scheduled between 6am and 9am. However, prolonged delays and the need to deploy aircraft for subsequent routes may result in further disruptions throughout the day, including potential cancellations.
"We are currently assessing the situation and prioritising flights with more complex itineraries. At the moment we have several people looking at how we can best manage this," Feith elaborated, declining to comment on LuxAirport's specific circumstances. He further highlighted the considerable organisational challenges facing the airline, particularly concerning crew scheduling.
Crew members have been on duty since Friday morning, despite the grounding of their respective aircraft. A crew that was supposed to start a long flight at 6am, for example, can no longer do so. "In essence, we're now assessing how we can go about this. It's very, very complex. We won't compromise on safety," Feith emphasised, which means that a whole series of flights will probably have to be cancelled.
So far, RTL has been unable to reach a LuxAirport representative to provide further details on the situation.
