The international umbrella association of airlines (IATA) has now warned that waiting times could extend to several hours during the main travel season.

The industry is slowly recovering from the consequences of the pandemic, and passenger numbers are picking up again. But circumstances have changed. Because in addition to the familiar travel documents, antigen or PCR tests, the “Green Pass” and a number of other proofs may be required in a country.

The IATA therefore warned of chaos at the airports. At the moment there could be waiting times of up to three hours at peak times in some airports - and that with only about 30 percent of the traffic volume compared to 2019. If the volume rose to 75 percent compared to the time before the pandemic, the average would be one and a half hours per Passengers rise - if no countermeasures are taken. Most of the delays are due to waiting times at check-in and at border controls, as more paper documents have to be checked there.

The airlines are therefore pushing for the further relaxation of travel rules and accelerated digitization. The different rules and regulations for air passengers deterred potential passengers. The association itself developed an app to receive faster confirmation for air travel. The ORF reports.