Why are golf bags piling up at this airport in Scotland, just 50 miles from St. Andrews?
Chaos ensued following the 150th Open at St. Andrews due to pile up of golf clubs. Here’s a look at what went down and why?
The world of golf and the aviation industry have been butting heads in recent times, which might explain why there is so much animosity being directed at Edinburgh Airport, following the Open at St. Andrews.
There’s a huge pile up of golf bags at Edinburgh Airport
For golf fans the world over the pictures seen on Monday evening and Tuesday morning would have come as a shock. Circulated all over the internet, images showed golf bags piled high in the terminal of Edinburgh Airport - hours after their owners had reached their destinations. Needless to say, it all went viral. It wasn’t just the pictures of bags either, as there were a host of complaints from not just travelling fans, but tour pros as well, who had understandably arrived at their destinations without their precious cargo. Many took to social media, where they hit out at the airport for failing to deal with the problem.
Argentine golfer Jorge Fernandez Valdes, who played in the Open at St Andrews, tagged both the airport and airline Ryanair and said, “Obviously my clubs didn’t arrive with me. You must sort this mess.” Then there was Scotland’s own Bradley Neil, who was heading to Munich for the Big Green Egg German Challenge on the Challenge Tour. Neil referred to the situation as “a disgrace,” before explaining that his flight had sat on the tarmac for almost two hours, during which time the pilot explained that only 50% of all luggage had been loaded on the plane. Neil later confirmed that his clubs had in fact been left behind.
What did Edinburgh Airport have to say?
Though it won’t do anything to speed up the process, Edinburgh Airport was quick to give a statement regarding the frustrating situation. A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said:
“Although large amounts of baggage had been anticipated, the volume of golf clubs which required processing was far higher than forecast. This caused a delay in the baggage system yesterday and teams worked with handling agents to resolve the issue. ...Measures were put in place to rectify the situation and while all bags have now been processed, unfortunately some items will be delayed arriving to their final destination. We are working with handling agents and airlines to help them repatriate bags with their owners. We thank passengers for their patience during what are challenging times for the entire aviation industry, and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”