© Domingos Oliveira / RTL
In a press statement, LuxAirport confirmed that the "technical problem" that led to delays and cancelled flights on 10 May was in fact a metal detector that was not properly plugged in.
The incident occurred when the metal detector's plug was inadvertently pulled out during nighttime cleaning.
This went unnoticed for eight minutes when security checks started shortly after 4am. As a result, 12 passengers passed through the security checkpoint without proper screening. According to Head of Security Daniel Conrardy, if individuals do not carry metal objects, the absence of alarms is normal.
However, security staff grew suspicious when no alarms sounded for an extended period. Upon investigation, the unplugged detector was identified as the issue. LuxAirport stated that no staff mishandling was found, and no personnel will face consequences.
To prevent future occurrences, procedures will be updated. The automatic test of metal detectors, previously conducted once daily, will now also occur before checks begin at 4am. The last automatic check was at 6.30pm the previous evening, but since the plug was dislodged around midnight, the error was not detected the following morning.
"In 20 years, I've never seen anything like this," acknowledged Daniel Conrardy.
No alternative to evacuation
Due to the malfunctioning metal detector, the entire secure area of LuxAirport had to be evacuated. By the time the airport police were informed shortly before 5am, numerous passengers, including the 12 who had not been properly screened, had already passed through security.
Evacuation was deemed the only way to ensure passenger safety. After clearing the secure area, staff conducted a thorough search with the assistance of search dogs, emphasised Ken Dechaize, Deputy Director of the airport police. He stressed that there was no alternative solution to guarantee passenger security.
On 10 May, 43 out of 84 scheduled flights were delayed, and ten flights were cancelled entirely due to the incident.
Regarding reimbursement for delays and cancellations, passengers are advised to first contact their respective airlines. However, since LuxAirport was at fault, airlines may potentially submit reimbursement requests to the airport, according to LuxAirport CEO Alexander Flassak. He noted that no such requests had been received so far.
