Copenhagen airport keeps reason for tighter security secret

Copenhagen Airport is keeping the reason for temporary tighter security measures confidential, with long queues expected at times into next week and possibly the week after, DR reports.

The changes followed an inspection by the Danish Transport Authority. Airport communications chief Lise Agerley Kürstein said some security procedures had been changed after issues were identified, but she could not disclose further details because they concerned security.

Several hundred passengers missed their flights on Thursday after queues stretched for hours. More passengers than usual are being selected for manual baggage checks, which take longer than screening bags by machine. The airport said the stricter checks were not prompted by a security threat and that security had been in order beforehand.

Queues were long again on Friday morning but eased after a few hours. The airport said passengers could face busy periods as well as quieter stretches in the coming days, and that extra staff had been called in. It acknowledged criticism over its communication with passengers and said it could have done more to prepare them.

Norwegian said 200 of its passengers had missed flights since Thursday and criticised the airport for not communicating the delays sooner. The airline is offering affected passengers rebooking. SAS said 352 passengers scheduled to travel with the airline had so far been rebooked.

Passengers are advised to arrive two hours before flights within the Schengen area and three hours before flights outside it. Norwegian recommends arriving more than two hours early.