Staff shortages: Hundreds of Ryanair travelers left Eindhoven Airport without luggage

Hundreds of travelers who flew with Ryanair from Eindhoven Airport on Sunday departed for their holiday destination without their luggage. Baggage handler Skytanking did not have enough staff to load and unload the luggage from the planes on time, Omroep Brabant reports.

According to Eindhoven Airport spokesperson Gijs Vrenken, Ryanair decided to leave the luggage behind to avoid jeopardizing the flight schedule further. The luggage of six flights was planned for late delivery on Sunday. The remaining five flights’ luggage will be delivered later.

The luggage problems caused some delays, but no cancellations. The airport notified travelers about the problems via its social media channels and at the counter. “Further than that, the problems are a matter between the airline and the baggage handler,” Vrenken said.

The German baggage handling company Skytanking has been loading and unloading Ryanair luggage at Eindhoven Airport since April. According to Omroep Brabant, the company has struggled to perform this task in a timely fashion several times. The Labor Inspectorate also reportedly gave Skytanking a warning in May.

Ryanair and Skytanking were not available to answer the broadcaster’s questions.