German airports have an urgent need for skilled security staff

There is a chronic shortage of skilled security staff in airports across Germany, putting at risk the summer travel plans of thousands of holidaymakers.

A new analysis showed that security personnel are in short supply across German airports. In summer 2022, as the aviation industry recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, security checks were often understaffed, leading to lengthy queues that caused many travellers to miss their flights.

With dozens of unfilled positions, there is a considerable risk that similar problems will occur this summer. One solution to solve the problem is state-of-the-art video technology. Used in responsible ways, it can help relieve security staff in a smart, quick, and effective manner by predicting traffic flows via heatmapping, people counting and live analytics.

The greatest shortage of skilled workers is in Frankfurt am Main and Berlin

Video software company Milestone Systems analysed the 10 largest airports in Germany and found a total of 171 job advertisements for security workers. Frankfurt Airport, a major air connections hub in Europe, tops the list. The airport – which handled more than 15 million passengers during the peak travel season in 2022 – registered no less than 40 advertisements for security specialists.

Berlin came closely behind with 33 vacant security jobs. The capital city was followed by Munich with 27 vacancies, and Stuttgart and Cologne with 14 job advertisements each.

Commenting on the analysis, Jos Beernink, Vice President EMEA of Milestone Systems, said:

"There is hardly any other workplace where security is as important as an airport. Video technology can be a big help, especially to relieve skilled staff as quickly as possible. Modern video software can help staff monitor everything and quickly initiate proactive or reactive measures. The technology helps them to quickly find what they are looking for instead of reviewing hours and hours of video footage. It can also provide an easier virtual overview through a tracking function. In addition, video technologies can support and relieve the workload of specialist staff in the security sector. In the end it will lead to higher satisfaction amongst both staff and travellers.

Hannover Airport pays the best

Milestone’s research also evaluated salaries and working conditions. The analysis found that Hannover provides the top salary for security professionals.

The best-paid security professionals work in Hannover. Here, employees in the security sector can earn up to €3,414 a month working full time. This means that the airport in lower Saxony pays over €500 more than the average monthly salary of all airports surveyed (€2,846).

Hamburg and Düsseldorf rank second and third with €3,414 and €3,261, respectively. More than 80% of the job advertisements refer to full-time positions and five per cent to apprenticeships.