At Innsbruck Airport, the staffing level in the security area is currently sparse. At the same time, the traditional winter sports business got off to a good start again, despite the recent price increases.

Airport manager Marco Pernetta explains to the Tiroler Tageszeitung that he expects a good winter season. The airlines and tour operators operating in Innsbruck are “very satisfied” with the current booking figures. Therefore, the manager predicts that passenger numbers will be comparable to those seen before the corona pandemic. About 70 percent of winter sports enthusiasts come from the United Kingdom, 20 percent from the Netherlands and others from Scandinavia and Belgium.

Pernetta also has great expectations of the new Air France connection from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The proportion of incoming passengers should be around 95 percent. The recording of this route is scheduled for December 10, 2022. The coming weekend will also be a first endurance test for Innsbruck Airport, because a particularly large number of flights have been booked.

Service providers are missing 30 security employees

However, there is also a problem at the Tyrolean airport, because the company Securitas, which is responsible for carrying out the security checks and other security activities, is suffering from a lack of staff. A representative admits to the Tiroler Tageszeitung that one is currently “very tightly positioned”. Specifically, Ingo Almer explains for the service provider that around 100 employees are needed. Currently, however, only 61 are in use and seven more are in training. By the end of December 2022, 30 security guards would be missing.

In the region around Innsbruck Airport, the security jobs, which Securitas says pays 14,26 euros, do not seem to be particularly popular. The situation is different with the seasonal positions at the airport, because according to Pernetta, many students are supposed to help out here during peak times. However, this would not be a solution for security insofar as extensive training is required. Innsbruck Airport itself employs around 2022 people during the 23/130 winter season. The airport manager told the Tiroler Tageszeitung that 95 percent of them would be students.