A record number of cruise passengers will transfer from ship to air at Copenhagen Airport during the period from May to September. For the second consecutive year, the check-in facilities at hangar 145 will be used for cruise passengers on peak travel days to ensure quicker and more flexible handling of traffic. Copenhagen Airport has invested in new and modern equipment for baggage screening after a close dialogue with the airlines. When the first cruise vessel docked at the pier in Copenhagen in mid-April, it was the start of a record year in terms of number of cruise passengers transferring from ship to air at Copenhagen. In 2008, Copenhagen Airport expects 175,500 cruise passengers, and some 68,000 of these passengers will check in at hangar 145 which will be in use on the season’s 38 peak departure days for cruise passengers.

Copenhagen is an attractive cruise destination
There has been a significant increase in the number of cruise passengers in recent years. They typically arrive at the airport in large groups with lots of baggage. In order to ensure seamless handling of these cruise passengers as well as the other passengers in the terminals, the coordination of check-in facilities has been discussed down to the slightest detail in a close dialogue among the airlines, handling companies and Copenhagen Airport.

“In order to make the check-in process at Copenhagen Airport as flexible as possible a large number of elements in the process must be coordinated. We have had a close dialogue with the airlines to further develop the check-in facilities at the hangar in order to ensure that the approximately 68,000 cruise passengers per year experience an even more flexible, calm and easy check-in process, said Susanne Frank, Passenger Manager, Copenhagen Airports A/S.

“Cruise passengers typically arrive at the airport many hours ahead of departure. When we ensure that these passengers experience an easy check-in process, they will have time for sightseeing or shopping in downtown Copenhagen before flight departure. By offering passengers good facilities at the airport, we and the other parties in the cruise industry can make Copenhagen an even more attractive destination , which will benefit the entire region,” said the airport’s passenger manager, who is also on the Board of the Cruise Copenhagen Network.

New x-ray equipment
Hangar 145 has 16 check-in desks and a separate baggage system. This year, CPH has invested approximately DKK 10 million in new x-ray equipment for baggage screening. The new, modern equipment in the hangar means that the many suitcases will not have to be transported all the way through the airport’s central baggage system; instead they can be taken directly to the aircraft.

“I feel we have been off to a very good start this year. We have learnt from the experience we gained last year, and we have installed new baggage screening equipment. The collaboration between all the parties involved has so far been excellent. We have jointly identified solutions to ensure that the many cruise passengers experience a calm and flexible check-in process,” said Bent Hansen who is responsible for cruise planning at SGS, one of the handling companies at Copenhagen Airport.

The first cruise passengers of the year who checked in at hangar 145 were impressed with the building’s visible beams from the time of WWII and the modern check-in facilities that go hand-in-hand, 

“I was surprised when I saw the old hangar with the new interior design. As a cruise passenger, I found it very easy to check in at Copenhagen Airport, and all the facilities worked very well,” a cruise passenger from Spain commented.

Source: Copenhagen Airport
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