Thousands of Travelers Affected by Technical Issues During Autumn Holidays
The Düsseldorf Flughafen (Düsseldorf Airport) — the largest airport in North Rhine-Westphalia — faced massive congestion this weekend as the Herbstferien (autumn holidays) began. With nearly 1.3 million passengers expected to travel through the airport by October 26, long lines and baggage handling issues created chaos for thousands of travelers.
On Sunday morning, technical problems disrupted the airport’s baggage system, leaving conveyor belts at a standstill for several hours. “The entire terminal turned into one long queue,” reported WDR journalist Andreas Turnsek. The flughafen düsseldorf management cited new security regulations for hand luggage checks as one of the contributing factors.
Although operations resumed later in the afternoon, passengers continued to experience long waiting times as airport staff worked to clear the backlog. “As baggage systems and check-in processes gradually restart, it takes time for the delays to ease completely,” said an airport spokesperson.
Despite the disruption, airport authorities stressed that terminal operations remained largely under control. Sunday was expected to be the busiest travel day of the year, with over 86,000 passengers passing through the terminals.
Technical Problems Hit Two Days in a Row
The weekend’s trouble didn’t start on Sunday. On Saturday morning, Düsseldorf Flughafen experienced a six-hour outage in its baggage transport system. More than 10 kilometers of conveyor belts stopped working around 5 a.m., forcing many travelers to fly without their checked luggage. Airlines have since arranged for delayed baggage delivery to affected passengers.
Airport officials praised passengers for remaining patient despite the disruption. “Most travelers were understanding, even though many had to begin their holidays without their bags,” said a spokesperson.
New Electronic Border Control System Introduced
Adding to the complexity, Düsseldorf Flughafen also became one of the first airports in Germany to implement the EU’s new electronic border control system this week. The system, designed to replace manual passport stamping, now collects biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition images from non-EU travelers. The goal is to make border crossings more secure and efficient, but the rollout contributed to longer queues during the holiday surge.
Nearby Airports Also Report Heavy Traffic
The travel rush isn’t limited to Düsseldorf. Nearby airports like Köln/Bonn, Dortmund, Weeze, and Münster/Osnabrück also reported strong passenger traffic this weekend.
At Flughafen Köln/Bonn, officials expected over 100,000 travelers between Friday and Sunday. Passengers were advised to check in online, travel light, and arrive early to manage the increased waiting times. The airport projected over one million passengers in October 2025 alone — matching summer travel volumes.
Meanwhile, Flughafen Dortmund anticipated around 180,000 passengers over the entire holiday period. However, ongoing construction on the A40 highway (B1) caused major traffic delays for airport access, prompting officials to urge travelers to plan extra time for their journeys.
At Airport Weeze, an estimated 8,000 travelers are expected each day during weekends, while Flughafen Paderborn/Lippstadt is preparing for a 10% drop in passenger volume compared to last year, largely due to the loss of the Lufthansa Munich route.
Finally, Münster/Osnabrück Airport (FMO) expects about 92,000 passengers, with Antalya and Palma de Mallorca ranking among the top destinations. However, some flights — including one to Mallorca — were cancelled over the weekend due to storms in Spain.
Tips for Travelers During the Busy Season
With record-breaking passenger numbers, experts advise travelers flying from flughafen düsseldorf and nearby airports to:
- Arrive at least three hours before departure
- Use online check-in wherever possible
- Keep hand luggage to a minimum
- Verify travel documents and passport validity
- Monitor news aktuell updates from airport authorities for real-time flight and baggage information
Despite the initial challenges, Düsseldorf Airport expects smoother operations in the coming days as systems stabilize and staff adjust to the new EU border control technology.
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