If you are planning to travel out of Zurich Airport in the days leading up to Christmas, be prepared for long and slow lines.
Holiday season is typically chaotic at airports, as passenger volumes increase during this period.
But this year the situation is even worse at Switzerland’s largest international airport.
At the moment, 24 new CT scanners are being installed in Zurich, causing long waits at security checkpoints, especially during peak travel hours.
According to the airport’s management, 30 percent of screening capacity is currently unavailable, which means passengers are crammed onto fewer checkpoints.
Therefore, to avoid missing their flights, passengers are asked to show up 1.5 to 2 hours early for Schengen flights, and up to 2 to 3 hours earlier for non-Schengen destinations.
No date has been set for the end of the works, but it will probably not be before mid-December at the earliest, according to the management.
What are these CT scanners anyway?
Though their installation lengthens the queues and wait times, ultimately, these devices will save travellers time, while increasing their security as well.
Thanks to this technology, luggage can be modelled in 3D.
Security teams will then be able to examine all the bags layer by layer, and the presence of explosives can be detected much more easily.
