Super Slow Security at CHC

[kangarooflyer88]

Today I was flying QF136 from CHC back to Sydney. The flight was scheduled to depart at 16:35 PM and I arrived at the airport around 14:30. I figured I gave myself more than enough time to clear security and NZ emmigration to properly enjoy the QF partner lounge. I was wrong! It took over an hour to clear the damn thing with the queue stretching all the way out to where the restaurants start at the international departure area. There was literally one security screening point out but a ton of passengers. Several flights were on final call for a very long time as I reckon many of the passengers were caught out in the line. At one point in desperation the security called passengers on the NZ flight to SYD to jump the queue and come to the front.

I've been to a lot of airports before from Newark to Sydney, Cairo to Haneda, I travel a lot. I've been in queues at SYD that stretch out very far and have been stuck in check-in lines at SYD/HNL during COVID where there were document checks that took considerable time.This has to be one of the most stressful security experiences I've had which adding to the stress were passengers hacking up a storm (thankfully I had my 3M Aura N95 respirator on, so much for NZ mandatory isolation and health declarations)

Absolutely pathetic performance by the airport. And look, I know CHC is a small airport, but c'mon this is just nuts. People were missing their plane not because they showed up at the last minute, but because their (arguably) reasonable expectation that security would move swiftly wasn't met. And don't get me wrong, I get it, some passengers don't know how to go through security. But even if everyone was a clone of me and went through the checkpoint in 10 seconds it wouldn't matter, there was simply one security lane to handle what was 3 or 4 flights to BNE, SYD and some other destination whose name escapes me.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Quickstatus]

There was literally one security screening point out but a ton of passengers

Were the self service passport checks working?

BYW did you see these official Airpaws dogs around at CHC. Not security dogs but just for pats

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Were the self service passport checks working?

They were but people weren't using them (or are travelling on a passport that was issued when Ronald Reagan was President). Still, I don't think having one lane for security was enough given the sheer number of passengers.

BYW did you see these official Airpaws dogs around at CHC. Not security dogs but just for pats


View attachment 310351

Didn't see it, but did see a lot of mountain paraphernalia, references to Sir Edmund Hilary (he was the first person to climb the tallest mountain in the world ya know?) and of course the US antarctic base


-RooFlyer88

 

[Quickstatus]

I see from the data that just about every flight departing CHC had about a 30 min delay in departure time including yours

@Melburnian1

 

[Sprucegoose]

Are they saying that tourism or travel is not a high priority?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Are they saying that tourism or travel is not a high priority?

Judging by the colour of the passports (i.e. red, green, blue) of those in the international security queue, I reckon one should no advise them of this fact!

 

[Quickstatus]

May not be the airport.
Could be staffing by NZ immigration?

 

[Sprucegoose]

May not be the airport.
Could be staffing by NZ immigration?

Regardless the expectation is for all organisations to work in unison and not against the travelling public; it's all about the experience, and if it's bad, that's not good enough.

CHC, lift your game.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

May not be the airport.
Could be staffing by NZ immigration?

I don't see how it could be a staffing issue at the emmigration point given the fact that there are eGates. That being said, most people went to the manned both (why I have no clue). Like eGates should almost always be the default thing to do when dealing with I/emmigration it's fast, you don't have to speak with anyone, and most passports support it.

But again, I highly doubt that is the issue. There was literally just one security lane operating. Now I'm no expert in airport security, but I reckon passing 300 customers through one lane is not a smart idea.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Quickstatus]

CHC, lift your game.

My point is Im not sure that it’s in the control of CHC per se.

The operation of immigration is in the control of NZ Immgration. One security lane suggests a lack of manpower. Why were people not directed to use the eGates assuming they were operational?.

@kangarooflyer88 Did the eGate work for you?

 

[Mattg]

What's that VA 737 doing in Christchurch? Or am I missing something?

 

[Quickstatus]

VA 737 doing in Christchurch

Today’s VA161 SYD-ZQN service diverted to CHC after 2 attempts to land in ZQN
Returned to ZQN today this evening.

 

[exLXCXFF]

What's that VA 737 doing in Christchurch? Or am I missing something?

Today’s VA161 SYD-ZQN service diverted to CHC after 2 attempts to land in ZQN
Returned to ZQN today this evening.

Maybe weather related? If you look at F24, heaps of flights between 1300 and 1500 were diverted to either CHC or WLG.

 

[Austman]

Christchurch airport line to security and passport control.

April 20th, 2017, 5:15am.

I only just made my 6:15am flight:

 

[aikman]

Isn't it because they only open up security at 3pm causing a huge bottleneck and queue?

This was the case anyway when I flew CHC-BNE last month which leaves at a similar time to the SYD flight.

 

[Mwenenzi]

While they have 3 security lines/machines I have never seen the one on the far left used. They only open security 2hrs or 2:30hr before a flight.. Before the equipment upgrade they used to commonly operate 2 lines. but now usually 1. So slower than pre CV19.

The immigration e-gates/manual passport check while can be slow, does keep moving, but that area can get crowded.

From CHC flights a group of flights tend to leave close together. Will minimise staffing costs.

Christchurch Airport Arrivals & Departures

Looking for information about today’s flights to or from Christchurch Airport? View up-to-date arrival & departure times, gates & flight status here.

www.christchurchairport.co.nz

A VA B737 at CHC is a very unusual sight these days, as VA does (now) not fly to CHC. Only to ZQN from AU, when it can land. Guess those pax processed immigration & customs at ZQN when they got there.
Those C130's depart for the ice heavy and have a very very slow climb out.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

While they have 3 security lines/machines I have never seen the one on the far left used. They only open security 2hrs or 2:30hr before a flight.. Before the equipment upgrade they used to commonly operate 2 lines. but now usually 1. So slower than pre CV19.

They really need to open that second lane. It's slowing things down and is likely costing the airlines that operate from the base money in terms of rolling delays that impact downstream scheduling.

The immigration e-gates/manual passport check while can be slow, does keep moving, but that area can get crowded.

It wasn't crowded at all when I went through yesterday (even at the manned desk). It literally took me 10 seconds to go through the eGates as it seems no one was using the machine.

From CHC flights a group of flights tend to leave close together. Will minimise staffing costs.

Christchurch Airport Arrivals & Departures

Looking for information about today’s flights to or from Christchurch Airport? View up-to-date arrival & departure times, gates & flight status here.

www.christchurchairport.co.nz

And that's a very fair point indeed. And if they are benefiting from having all those passengers come through at once, they should spend the couple extra bucks to operate a second lane, rather than delay everyone (including the airlines operating out of the international terminal).

A VA B737 at CHC is a very unusual sight these days, as VA does (now) not fly to CHC. Only to ZQN from AU, when it can land. Guess those pax processed immigration & customs at ZQN when they got there.

Would they need to re-clear security at CHC? I'm not sure if AU/NZ have accepted the IATA annex which allows for security to be bypassed.

Those C130's depart for the ice heavy and have a very very slow climb out.

Would've been cool to capture a departure of those birds taking off. No doubt there is a schedule somewhere plane spotters can use to capture these propeller 747s taking off!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Sprucegoose]

Christchurch airport line to security and passport control.

April 20th, 2017, 5:15am.

I only just made my 6:15am flight:

View attachment 310366

Dear, oh dear looks very LAX'ish..............which is unfortunate.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Dear, oh dear looks very LAX'ish..............which is unfortunate.

This has not been my experience at all having flown through LAX a number of times now (including during COVID). What is crucial is that you have access to TSA pre-check and Global Entry. That way you don't have to speak to an immigration officer and can instead use a kiosk to clear immigration similar to the eGates at CHC and that you can get through TSA screening in a matter of minutes. Indeed, if you have the TSA app installed on your phone it will literally tell you which terminal at LAX you should clear security through which given a walk between terminals at LAX takes a couple of minutes land-side is not a huge deal. All of that said, I would almost always try to clear at TBIT since pre-check security tends to be very quick and you are dumped into a terminal that has some of the best lounges in the US (i.e. AmEx Centurion, Emirates, Qantas, etc.).

Frankly this whole experience makes LAX look real good by comparison since they have to handle way more customers and airlines than CHC does with its 2 or perhaps 3 flights taking off at the same time and single international terminal (and choke point) to worry about. People, rightly I would argue, expect that security/emmigration at a tiny airport like CHC should take a couple of minutes tops. I don't think anyone would expect it to take well over an hour and as other posters have mentioned, this ain't an isolated incident, it has been something that has been going on for years now. Perhaps QF and NZ can take the hit in their schedules by delaying flights for so long but this certainly leaves a raw taste in a customer's mouth.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Lynda2475]

What is crucial is that you have access to TSA pre-check and Global Entry.

Global entry and TSA pre-check is not available to Australian Passport holders, so LAX is generally a nightmare - the worst entry point to the USA for Aussies in terms of time taken IME. I avoid LAX at all costs.