Swissport Boss Blames Politicians For Travel Chaos

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Swissport staff protested at Zurich airport, demanding a return to pre-Covid working conditions. © Keystone / Michael Buholzer

An erratic, over-proportionate and poorly coordinated political response to the Covid-19 pandemic is responsible for the current spate of lost baggage and airport chaos, says the boss of ground handling company Swissport.

This content was published on July 23, 2022 - 10:37 July 23, 2022 - 10:37 swissinfo.ch/mga

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“Governments are primarily to blame with their invented political science,” Swissport President and CEO Warwick Brady told the Schweiz am Wochenende newspaper on Saturday. Lockdowns and travel restrictions merely delayed the spread of new coronavirus variants“by a few weeks”, he said.

The entire travel chain, from airports, airlines, baggage handlers and air traffic controllers, is struggling to cope with a surge in demand for flights during the summer holiday season. It has resulted in delaysExternal link , huge queues, flight cancellations and an upsurge in the number of suitcases going astray.

“After the massive job cuts that were absolutely necessary at the time, there is now a lack of staff everywhere,” said Brady.

Airport ground staff are bearing the brunt of passenger frustration, he added.“It's bad. There are cases of physical violence. Some passengers follow our employees into the break room and harass them there. We do not accept such behavior.”

Around 150 Swissport staff staged a demonstration at Zurich airport on Saturday to complain of working conditions and to demand a return to their pre-Covid contracts. Staff had accepted pay cuts and extra hours during the peak of the pandemic.

Brady says he is confident that a solution can be found to staff complaints.

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