We went behind the scenes at Edinburgh Airport during peak travel season
| Author | Danyel VanReenen |
| Published date | 18 June 2022 |
| Publication title | EdinburghLive (Scotland) |
Greg Maxwell, Edinburgh Airport's head of corporate affairs, said it was typical of the latest travel trends. He reported that more than 600,000 passengers passed through the airport last month. Passenger volume during peak travel times has seen a 93 percent recovery in the past month.
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As Edinburgh Live's reporter went behind the scenes, Greg revealed what it's like to work at the airport.
"All of the Covid restrictions were only lifted at the end of March, and in that three-month period we've seen massive amounts of volume recovery," Greg said.
"We've been opening the security hall an hour earlier and our staff have been volunteering extra hours because people are queuing outside security gates before they open. We've never seen that before."
Volunteers from all departments have signed up for the "Here to Help" scheme. Volunteers don high-vis jackets and answer endless questions from the public. Walking through the airport with Greg revealed the extent of traveller anxiety.
He was approached multiple times by nervous passengers seeking directions and advice.
"Passengers are traveling again for the first time possibly in two years. We get a lot of questions about Covid-19 requirements, and a lot of people are simply forgetting what they need to do for security because they're out of practice. We help as much as we can with Covid information, but we're encouraging passenger responsibility," said Greg.
He drew a clear distinction between the role and responsibility of the airport versus the role and responsibilities of airlines, partners, and baggage handling agencies.
"The airport is essentially a facility manager with a variety of partners working inside," said Greg.
Airport staff greet travellers in the check-in hall to answer questions and help form check-in queues. However, once passengers reach the desk, airline handling agents are fully responsible for processing times and procedures.
Likewise, the airport has no data or responsibility for baggage handling or the UK border at International arrivals.
"As the airport, our role is to work with both the airlines and the baggage handling agencies, but we don't have any data or responsibility for...
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