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COPENHAGEN AIRPORT

Copenhagen Airport increases free Covid-19 testing for all passengers

Copenhagen Airport has responded to higher passenger traffic by increasing its Covid-19 testing capacity.

Copenhagen Airport increases free Covid-19 testing for all passengers
Passengers at Copenhagen Airport last month. Photo: Niels Christian Vilmann/Ritzau Scanpix

The in-airport test centre has seen the number of passenger requesting Covid-19 tests double over the last month, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

That appears to be closely related to the increase in traffic and passengers at the airport as the country gradually reopens its borders and allows tourism.

READ ALSO: These international flights are currently available from Denmark

Local public health authority Region Hovedstaden operates the tests, which are offered free of charge to all passengers arriving at the airport, regardless of nationality.

Specifically, the centre has increased capacity by expanding its opening hours from 6am to midnight, and boosted the number of testing stations from two to eight.

“That means we can offer many more arrivals the option of coming over and being swabbed for Covid-19,” Birgitte Rosenquist, manager of the test centre, told DR.

READ ALSO: Travel to Denmark: The health rules and guidelines tourists should know about

After 200 people were tested at the airport last week, that total has already reached 900 this week, the broadcaster reports.

 

“All types of people are coming. Business travellers, families. The only requirement is to be 12 years of age or more,” Rosenquist said.

The test takes under two minutes to complete. Danish residents can check their test result on the sundhed.dk website within three days of the test. Foreign residents will be contacted if they test positive for Covid-19.

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COPENHAGEN AIRPORT

Copenhagen Airport announces a quarter of staff could lose jobs

Copenhagen Airport said Wednesday that it may lay off a quarter of its staff as it is forced to confront the massive drop in passengers due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Copenhagen Airport announces a quarter of staff could lose jobs
Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

The operator of Scandinavia's largest airport said the layoff of 650 employees was being considered “in order to secure its long-term competitive strength.”

Copenhagen Airports said it would open discussions with union representatives to determine the final number of jobs to be cut.

“It's very sad that we'll have fewer employees at CPH,” chief executive Thomas Woldbye said in a statement, referring to the airport using its international IATA code.

“Our goal during the crisis has been to maintain as much activity and retain as many jobs as possible at the airport,” he added.

 

Cutting 650 jobs would reduce expenses by around 45 million euros per year.

Copenhagen Airports lost about 31 million euros in the first half of the year and it expects an even deeper loss for the second half.

Air traffic slowed to a trickle for several months as nations imposed lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus, and while airlines have resumed some services they are still far below pre-crisis levels.

Last month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that global air traffic will not return to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic until at least 2024.

On Monday, the operator of Frankfurt airport, Fraport, announced between 3,000 and 4,000 job losses, or around 15 percent of its staff.

At the end of June, Swissport, which describes itself as the world leader in airport ground services and cargo handling, said it plans to cut 4,000 jobs at the airports it operates in Britain.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen Airport catering firm announces job losses

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