Over 1400 people were left stranded in chaos at Eindhoven Airport this morning after an air traffic controller was too ill to work, with no one available to replace them.
According to a spokesperson from the airport, 16 aeroplanes were unable to fly leaving onboarding passengers stranded — and crowded.
Airport management has attempted to enforce social distancing measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but images have emerged of crowded seating areas.
Eerste vertraagde vluchten vertrekken om 13.00 uur van Eindhoven Airport, chaos door ziekmelding https://t.co/aEHxrzaqG3
— Paul Mul (@pphmul) August 7, 2020
Passengers from three flights were taken by bus to Maastricht Airport and the Niederrhein Airport in Germany.
No air traffic controllers
Air traffic began to resume at 1:00 PM today. Passengers with flights in the afternoon will only be allowed into the airport according to the first flights scheduled. Other people, arriving early, will need to wait outside in the sun.
Rond 13.00 uur gaan de eerste vertraagde vluchten van vanmorgen vertrekken. Houd de site van #EindhovenAirport in de gaten
— Eindhoven Airport (@EINairport) August 7, 2020
This is not the first time at Eindhoven Airport that flights are delayed due to missing air traffic controllers. In December last year, several flights were delayed because personnel were sick and unable to come to the job.
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Feature Image: Eindhoven Airport/Wikimedia Commons
