We all know this lines we have to join at an airport and none of us enjoys being in line. Airport security seems to be at top of the annoying lines.

A normal day ends in 3000 missed flights

The Day before Christmas in Frankfurt, the biggest German Airport three thousand ( 3.000) people missed their flight because of airport security. And that was when they worked normal! The strikes came later. Besides some short article the German Media did not mention this incident too often. Check in was no problem but once the passengers went to the individual check everything broke together. At the end planes had to leave while people were still standing in line. 88 flights were delayed as the luggage of those still in line had to be unloaded again. The Airport just acknowledge that there is a problem.

It’s not the fault of security – it’s the fault of the employer!

Ever since the economic crisis hit Greece the hotel and restaurant employees get 2 Euro per hour or less – or nothing ( as they get tips – according to the employer). The Eu poor’s billions in it – where does it goes? In Spain tourist hot spots like Tenerife pay peanuts as unemployment is high. Pregnancy for staff members means to be fired ( TV link). Is that what we asked for?

That's a clear procedure?

First of all I really don’t understand the security procedure. In Germany laptops have to be separated in many other countries not. Some want your watch and belt for sure – others don’t care. Ever since one guy in America managed to pass with explosives in his shoe every business man, grandma and even children have to march on socks to prove their innocence. Some airports don’t care here either. My favourite was once in Manila where security collected all lighters from everyone already at the entrance of the airport. Quiet annoying for the smokers but all had to be turned in. When I was sitting in the restaurant upstairs waiting for my flight every 10 minutes a worker came with a basket full of the collected lighters from the entrance and distributed them to the smokers in need. Only the expensive ones were missing. Now that procedure – before boarding your flight - made sense.

The big problem here is that all the security are not employed by the airport but are outsourced companies that pay so badly that you cant blame the guys and girls for not working fully motivated. The Airport passes on the responsibility and at the end the passenger pays the price.

Pay them 20 Euros per hour. Why not?

Now the security staff was on strike demanding 20 Euros per hour pay. Impossible as the Airport says and also many comments from ordinary people say that this demand is ridiculous. Why? The Airport makes billions and so do the airlines. They pay millions of bonuses to their managers. The income from retail space ( restaurant & shops and others) is amazing but peanuts against licences and other big incomes. If you pay Security staff 20 Euro per hour you will get motivated staff and you can demand qualifications. The money is there. Everybody else should support them and not oppose them. Are you just jealous because you don’t get 20 Euro an hour? Here we start or we stop. You are next for the increase or next to get nothing.

The scary part for the stakeholders is that all the other in low paying jobs ( in Germany the majority of the workforce) will demand the same. Again. Why not? The money is there.

Hamburg Fuhlsbuettel is another Airport I always try to avoid because security there is notorious slow. As in Frankfurt the Airports responsible just doesn’t care.

Now Germany is sadly enough famous for a railway system that doesn’t work so do we have to go back on the road? The better option might be to pay people what they deserve.