Staff shortages cause Ryanair departure delays at Eindhoven Airport
Ryanair flights departing from Eindhoven Airport faced significant delays Sunday due to persistent understaffing at ground handling company Skytanking, the airport confirmed. The disruptions mainly affected departing flights, although earlier in the day some arriving flights also experienced delays, according to Omroep Brabant.
A spokesperson for Eindhoven Airport said the full extent and duration of the delays remain uncertain. “The responsibility to inform travelers on site lies with Skytanking,” the spokesperson explained, “but we, as the airport, do report which flights are delayed.” By early afternoon, the spokesperson added that “mostly departing flights” were experiencing growing delays.
The airport emphasized the ongoing shortage of available staff. “There simply are not enough hands,” the spokesperson said. “Those Skytanking employees who are present are doing their best and will be relieved later today by a new shift.”
Since April of last year, Skytanking has been responsible for Ryanair’s baggage handling at Eindhoven after a change of ground handler. The company’s staffing issues have reportedly been a continual problem, described by airport officials as a “major headache.” The Dutch trade union FNV’s recent research prompted discussions between Eindhoven Airport and Skytanking to address these persistent problems.
Last year, Skytanking was already formally warned by the Dutch Labour Inspectorate (Arbeidsinspectie) over working conditions, according to Omroep Brabant.
An anonymous Skytanking employee allegedly told Omroep Brabant reporters in July about the heavy workload: “Sometimes you’re alone responsible for an entire plane. You want to work as fast as possible because you feel guilty if people’s vacations are delayed.” The employee also raised safety concerns: “A colleague of mine was not trained to operate a stair truck, but was ordered to do so by a supervisor. If he had caused an accident, he would not have been insured.”
