Computer fault causes delays and long lines at Helsinki-Vantaa International

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A computer fault in the check-in service of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport led to chaos on Tuesday, causing delays for up to 2,000 passengers. The malfunction badly jammed up the services of Blue1, SAS, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Air Baltic, which are all handled by SAS. Because of the glitch, some 30 flights were delayed. The morning flight of Blue1 from Helsinki to London took off almost two hours late, while some other flights suffered delays of about an hour on average.
     
Some passengers even missed their onward flights. According to Tom Christides, Blue1's Vice President of Corporate Communications, potential compensation claims will be negotiated with passengers.
      While it affected the check-in services at Kuopio Airport as well, the computer glitch did not cause any major delays to flights to and from Kuopio.
     
The computer fault in the check-in service of SAS was detected at 4.00 a.m., and the system was only functioning properly again as late as 2.00 p.m. in the afternoon.
      During the malfunction, all check-in services had to be handled manually. Moreover, the total weight of luggage had to be calculated by hand.
      "It is not that difficult, but it is slow", noted Christides.
      Because of the absence of computer passenger manifests, the check-in had to be done on the basis of the passengers' tickets.
      "We knew which flights were due to depart and how many passengers had been booked on each flight, that is all", reported Nina Enqvist from SAS Ground Services.
     
Enqvist noted, however, that the situation did not put the safety of flights in danger, as for example, all luggage was X-rayed as normally at the airport.
      German Fred Glander, who was en route to Hamburg via Copenhagen, marvelled at people's composure while standing in lines: "If this happened anywhere else, the passengers would start pushing each other and making a fuss. Here people just stay calm and wait", said Glander, after having stood in line himself for an hour.
     
Travelling with three children, Georg Myllynen took his place at the end of a queue shortly after 12.30 p.m. and was served just before 1.30 p.m.
      "I heard about the glitch on the radio, whereas here we have not been kept up to date at all", Myllynen complained while queuing for his flight to Frankfurt.


Links:
  SAS Ground Services
  Blue1

Helsingin Sanomat