18 soldiers help the health authority Bruck / Leitha during the controls at Vienna Airport. However, the armed forces are not armed.

At the Vienna-Schwechat airport, the armed forces have also been deployed for official border controls since Monday. According to the Ministry of Defense, 18 soldiers of the guard under the direction of the Burgenland military command are currently supporting the health authority of the district authority of Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria.

Currently, between 30 and 40 aircraft with around 2.500 passengers land at the airport every day, and the trend is rising. The health check takes place all day during the office hours specified by the airport (flight and arrival times). The body temperature of all passengers is measured. For passengers on flights from the states approved by the government, random checks are carried out in accordance with the requirements of the ordinance of June 16, 2020; all other flights are checked without exception. In the event of a suspected case or a positive fever test, the person is examined by the medical officer and further steps are taken.

“Today I was able to get an idea of ​​the soldiers deployed at Vienna International Airport. You do an excellent job; The cooperation between the airport, the authorities and the armed forces is excellent. Our joint approach enables us to guarantee the security of the population - now and in the future, ”said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.

“Aviation is taking off again, and numerous airlines will be resuming scheduled flight operations in these weeks. The number of passengers will increase in the next few weeks and the Austrian Armed Forces are supporting the authorities in carrying out health checks at the site. The focus is on the safety of passengers and employees. The Austrian health authorities and the armed forces are doing a lot here and we thank you for the good cooperation and support, ”said Julian Jäger, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG.

From May 20 to 23, the first forces in the armed forces were briefed and accompanied by representatives of the health authorities in their activities at the airport. The group, which initially consisted of eight soldiers, has been working independently on site since May 24th. With the resumption of flight operations on June 15, 2020, the number of assistant soldiers was increased to 18. The soldiers' tasks are to implement the health authority measures when entering the federal territory.

During the health check, the soldiers are not armed and are equipped in accordance with the requirements of the health authorities (glasses, mouth and nose protection, gloves, disinfectant).