‘I’ve never experienced such quiet’ – A glimpse into working at an airport today

Gaëlle Simon, a check-in and boarding agent at Brussels Airport, Belgium, once felt fortunate to be working in aviation.

‘It’s like a huge, caring family,’ Simon shares with Dinogo Travel. ‘Everyone is connected, even the passengers. Each day, you meet incredible people and hear their stories. I’d always come home with something new to share.’

However, the past nine months have completely transformed Simon’s work life – navigating an airport during a global pandemic has strained that family bond.

Like much of the world, European air travel has plummeted due to the pandemic. With demand almost nonexistent, Simon, who works for a baggage handling company at Brussels Airport, has spent most of her time ‘sitting at home, anxious about everything.’ Her work schedule has shrunk to just five days a month.

‘Working a shift is no longer as enjoyable as it once was,’ Simon admits.

Now, Simon’s daily duties are largely consumed by navigating the complex entry regulations that differ from one country to another. She and her team must continuously monitor which destinations require negative Covid tests, which are open or closed, which need visas, and which have specific exceptions for certain travelers.

It's no surprise, then, that Simon often encounters passengers who are stressed, frustrated, and bewildered by the ever-changing rules.

‘The rules are constantly changing,’ she explains. ‘Our supervisor does her best to keep us updated, but it’s still challenging to do our jobs effectively.’

And there’s the ongoing concern of contracting Covid while on the job.

‘Every day, we interact with 1,000 people from all over the world. My colleagues and I are afraid we could bring the virus home to our families,’ says Simon.

Adding to her concerns is a sense of being abandoned, a feeling that many in the travel sector share as the industry comes to a standstill under tight restrictions.

‘The message is always: don’t travel because of Covid! But people forget we also have jobs to do, bills to pay. And on top of that, we’re dealing with a chaotic work environment… it’s a mess,’ she says.

Airport workers’ experiences vary around the world – each country has its own approach to handling Covid-19, with differing regulations. Meanwhile, air travel is booming in some places, while it’s practically nonexistent in others.

What unites airport staff worldwide, however, is that they’re on the frontlines – witnessing the travel industry transform before their eyes, holding on to jobs as many face furloughs, reduced hours, or unemployment, all while trying to stay safe amidst uncertainty.

On the frontlines in Texas

While many European airports remain nearly empty, the United States saw some of the highest passenger numbers since the pandemic’s onset during the late November Thanksgiving weekend.

Teresa McClatchie is a contractor for United Airlines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

McClatchie has been working at the airport for four years. Before the pandemic, she was a ticketing agent, handling passenger greetings, bag check-ins, and boarding pass verifications. When Covid-19 struck, United Airlines downsized its ground crew in Houston, and McClatchie was reassigned to work as an escalator attendant.

From April to August, there were hardly any passengers, McClatchie tells Dinogo. However, with the arrival of fall and the holiday season, a flood of travelers has returned.

‘It was like pre-pandemic times, wall-to-wall passengers,’ says McClatchie, recalling the chaos of Thanksgiving week.

‘Management is thrilled: ‘It’s just like before!’ But I think, ‘Yeah, it’s like before, but why are they traveling? We’re still in the middle of a pandemic.’ The week was an absolute madhouse, and Christmas is shaping up to be the same,’ McClatchie adds.

McClatchie notes that many passengers passing through Houston Airport aren’t always wearing masks. She says workers have been instructed not to ask passengers to put on masks – United management has told staff that any issues will be addressed once passengers reach the gate.

McClatchie spends her shifts stationed next to the escalator, ready to answer passenger questions, with no barrier between her and the travelers. She places a chair in front of her to encourage social distancing, but passengers frequently ignore it and walk around.

‘They act like the chair isn’t even there,’ she sighs.

Despite taking precautions, McClatchie is deeply worried about catching the virus and anxious about the financial strain of her reduced hours.

‘Some of my coworkers are getting just 20 hours a week, and I’ve been cut down to 32,’ she says. ‘That makes it hard to keep up with my bills. Just last week, my lights got turned off, and I had to use my cell phone money to pay the electric bill. Then today, my phone got shut off.’

McClatchie says United Airlines does not inform her or her colleagues when someone contracts Covid. The airline did not directly address this claim. In the U.S., there is no contact-tracing app to notify people if they’ve been in contact with someone who later tests positive.

In a statement to Dinogo, United Airlines emphasized: ‘The health and well-being of our 100,000 global employees is our top priority. This crisis has had a profound and personal effect on all of our dedicated team members.’

The airline also assured that it was providing employees with proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. Additionally, United’s facilities at George Bush Intercontinental Airport are sprayed with antimicrobial disinfectant every day. Employees are also required to undergo daily temperature checks.

United further stated that it maintains regular communication with its workers and union representatives, taking their feedback into account for safety and cleaning protocols.

In response, Houston Airport System said in a statement: ‘Masks are required inside George Bush Intercontinental Airport, in compliance with city regulations. For those without a mask, our team is distributing them free of charge at terminal entrances. We encourage everyone to take one.’

The airport also highlighted that it had implemented numerous enhanced safety measures, including more hand sanitizer stations and frequent deep cleanings of high-touch areas throughout the terminals.

McClatchie notes that passenger behavior has worsened during the pandemic, with travelers growing frustrated when airport lounges and other services are unavailable.

She copes with the pressure by taking full advantage of her breaks – sometimes retreating to the bathroom for a moment of solitude or venting with her colleagues.

McClatchie and her coworkers have been supporting each other when finances are tight.

‘We’ve been passing money back and forth, helping each other out,’ she says. ‘If one of us hears about a rental assistance program, we share the information immediately.’

The only positive moments for McClatchie recently have been when she reconnects with the regular travelers she’s befriended over the years. Many of them stayed home for months and have only just started flying again.

They ask how she’s doing when they spot her at the escalator and take a moment to catch up.

From ticketing to cargo

In Budapest, check-in and boarding agent Kata – who prefers to keep her last name private – also transitioned to a different role when the pandemic struck.

Kata previously worked as an airport ticketing agent, where she checked passengers' boarding passes and oversaw the boarding process at the departure gate. She says she enjoyed brightening passengers' days and assisting them on their journeys.

When Budapest started responding to Covid-19 in March and passenger numbers plummeted, Kata was offered a new role handling packages of PPE arriving from China.

Kata felt fortunate to still have a job that allowed her to earn her regular salary, while many of her colleagues either moved to administrative roles for other companies or were furloughed.

However, her new position was far from easy.

‘It was really tough because I weigh just 55 kilos, and sometimes the boxes we handled weighed up to 30 kilos each,’ she says.

Kata spent a few months working in cargo before being reinstated to her ticketing role from June through the end of August, as Europe gradually reopened and travel began to resume.

However, in September, Hungary closed its borders again as Covid cases spiked. Kata’s company went into liquidation, and a new one took over.

‘Now, I’m working for a different company, almost with the same people, doing the same job,’ she says.

She’s back in ticketing, but with borders still closed, flights are scarce. Only a few airlines are currently operating from Budapest.

‘It’s very challenging because it’s tiring,’ Kata says. ‘Sometimes, we only have two flights a day – one at 6 a.m. and another at 5 p.m. In between, we prepare for the next flights, checking the destinations and what passengers need to enter those countries.’

Similar to Gaëlle Simon at Brussels Airport, Kata finds it challenging to navigate the varying entry requirements for different countries, which often leads to frustrated passengers.

Kata mentions that she and her colleagues were given masks, and she believes her employer has done their best to ensure their safety.

However, as Europe faces a second wave, she reveals that several of her coworkers have contracted Covid.

Just like McClatchie and her colleagues in Texas, Kata and her coworkers in Budapest are making an effort to support one another.

‘We try to support each other because it’s incredibly tough for everyone,’ Kata says. ‘Everyone is feeling down, scared about what’s to come. No one wants to fall ill, and everyone wants to keep their job. We also feel for those who are home sick. We don’t know how to help each other, but we try. We ask if there’s anything we can do.’

Kata follows all the necessary precautions—wearing her mask, washing her hands, and using hand sanitizer. Her company has also assigned each employee to a ‘bubble’ of coworkers to limit unnecessary interactions.

‘I think they’re doing the best they can in this situation, because the airport is one of the most high-risk places right now, aside from hospitals,’ she says.

View from Asia

Joshua Wu works as ground staff for a major airline at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. His duties include assisting passengers at the gates with boarding and disembarking, as well as managing check-in and transfer at the airport’s transfer counter.

Wu also serves as a ramp coordinator, ensuring that all items—like catering trolleys and loading equipment—are properly loaded onto the airplane before it departs.

He also secures the airplane cabin doors before takeoff, occasionally sharing clips of this on his Instagram feed.

Wu has continued in his current role throughout the pandemic, though some of his colleagues have transitioned to administrative positions.

‘Since the number of passengers dropped significantly, we no longer need as much staff,’ he explains to Dinogo Travel.

The most noticeable change in his daily routine, Wu says, is the atmosphere at Taoyuan International Airport.

‘Honestly, it’s changed a lot. I’ve worked here for six years, and I’ve never experienced such silence. It used to be filled with noise and crowds before the pandemic,’ he adds.

Wu says that passengers he interacts with have been diligent about following virus safety protocols. In many Asian countries, wearing face masks was common even before the pandemic, but passengers are now taking additional precautions as well.

‘Since the pandemic, passengers have become far more conscious of preventive measures. They maintain social distancing and avoid talking while waiting to board,’ he explains. ‘Some passengers not only wear masks, but also goggles and protective clothing. Some even skip inflight meals to minimize the risk of exposure.’

For this reason, Wu believes that traveling during the pandemic is still ‘okay.’

‘People can’t stay home forever,’ he says.

While Wu loves his job—being an aviation enthusiast, he enjoys watching planes take off and land every day—and feels supported by his employer, he remains aware that he’s working on the front lines.

‘There’s a significant risk of exposure from passengers arriving from various countries,’ he says.

Wu believes that the only way for aviation workers to feel secure and for the travel industry to truly recover is through the successful rollout of a vaccine program.

In the meantime, he says the key is to stay optimistic and be patient while waiting for things to improve.

His sentiment is shared by Kata in Budapest, who calls for ‘everyone to be patient, follow the rules, survive, and still find joy where we can.’

She emphasizes that she loves to travel as well and is saddened by her current inability to do so.

‘Just stay patient and focus on getting through this,’ she advises.