Copenhagen Airport withholds reason for security order

Copenhagen Airport received a security order from the Danish Transport Agency on 6 October, prompting stricter screening procedures two days later. The airport has declined to say what the order concerned, DR reports.

The measures have led to long queues and extra waiting times for passengers. Airport operations director Kristoffer Plenge-Brandt told DR that the order imposed restrictions on the airport’s security process, requiring more staff, but said he could not discuss its specific terms.

The airport said some days in October saw staffing needs underestimated. According to a press release, long waits occurred on 8, 22 and 23 October. Queues and waits of up to an hour were also reported early on 24 October.

Asked how passengers could maintain confidence in the airport without knowing what prompted the authorities’ intervention, Plenge-Brandt said the airport did not communicate the specific contents of an order imposed by an authority. He did not provide further details about the circumstances behind it.

Airport communications director Lise Agerley Kürstein said in a written comment to DR that it remained safe to fly from Copenhagen Airport and that the order did not change that. She said the airport welcomed authorities identifying ways to improve its security procedures and apologised for the disruption caused by the long waits.