Check-in
The check-in desk is where the journey officially starts. Each desk is staffed, handles one passenger after another and hands their bags over to the baggage system.
How it works
Check-in desks are terminal facilities placed in the landside zone, between the entrance and security. Each desk serves one passenger at a time and takes about a minute per person. Passengers queue in front of the desks; once checked in, they move on to security or the seating area, and their bags start travelling through the baggage system – or, without one, by hand.
Costs
- Fit-out: 12,000 € per desk.
- Staff: 200 € per desk and day, whether the desk is busy or not.
Desks are cheap to install but carry a daily wage, so the question is not "can I afford a desk" but "do I need one more right now".
How many desks?
A rough rule: one desk handles around 60 passengers an hour. Passengers arrive between two hours and 40 minutes before departure, so the busiest stretch is usually 60 to 90 minutes before a flight. Look at your flight schedule – two larger departures close together are what fills the hall.
Long queues cost satisfaction, and a passenger who reaches the gate too late misses the fun entirely. On the other hand, five desks for a 19-seat feeder flight are money spent on staff who mostly drink coffee.