Hamburg Airport Reviews 

The airport seems less and less capable of handling the floods of people in the mornings. Meanwhile the security staff is chatting and relaxing instead of just opening more security gates and adapt to the demand. Expect at least 1h to get through security.

I absolutely hate using this airport. I have used it 4 times this year and each experience is exactly the same. Long security lines when departing (45 - 60 min) and even worse, when returning to the airport having to wait over an hour every time for luggage to reach the Belt. If you love horrible customer service then this airport is definitely for you. Toilets Airside are full of grafity (very impressive )

Having visited over 100 airports, many in the developing world Hamburg is by far the worst. Complete absence of any leadership or management and security staff either rude or embarrassed by the queues themselves. Michael Eggenschwiler , the absent leader, should be embarrassed by the legacy he is leaving. 1 hour queue at security with only 2 machines working and then another 45 minutes queue to leave passport control with no communication whatsoever!! AVOID THIS AIRPORT AT ALL COSTS!!

A very bad experience in the security area at Hamburg airport. I will try to avoid this airport in future only because of this. Rude staff, very very long wait, was forced to throw all my liquids away even though they were all under 100ml. I did not have the size of plastic bag required in this airport. Worst experience in Europe. I have to give one star, I would give 0 if I could.

A very bad experience.
Long wait for security, then subjected to a strip search because they didn't seem to know how to deal with someone who has a Ileostomy. During the period of the search I was separated from my belongings - anyone could have helped themselves to my phone and wallet.
I travel regularly and have never been treated like this before. A shockingly bad system.

Extremely rude security staff apart from pleasant man at start of trays. Look and speak at you as if you are something they stepped on! One staff member was telling me something I couldn’t understand- I know basic German- “I said English?” He pointed at himself and said “German” disgusting manners.Having visited other parts of Germany I have never experienced such impertinence as here.

Massive queues with utterly non-caring staff…

If you are unfortunate enough to have to use Hamburg Airport allow at least 1hr 15 mins to get through security. There are too few security lanes for the number of flight departures at rush hour, and the staff do nothing to speed the process up or manage crowd control. They just stand there watching the situation getting worse by the minute. It doesn't help that British Airways only opens their check-in desk 2hrs before departure so by the time you've checked in and queued at security for over an hour you are at risk of missing your flight. The most stressful travel experience I've encountered this year. I'm just glad that I have no reason to ever go to Hamburg again.

- Time slot booking: slower than general queue - only one scanner available.
- no real-time updates available via phone - people are worried they missed boarding.
- there is a smoking area! (Good for some people)
- old fashioned equipment at security - laptops and liquids need to be removed hand luggage. - look at other airports where 2 liters of water can be taken on the plane.
- ONE item of hand luggage?!? What about a handbag. All these poor people stood there with only a rucksack because they followed rules and their luggage probably got lost. Most airlines allow one piece of hand luggage and an accessory. Make sure you double check!!
- staff are bullies (the ones after the scan) - they get off on being in a position of power - and don’t even try to be helpful.
- seems like a developing country digitally - no other airport does the 1 resealable bag any more. This is petty and makes the “security people” feel like gods. Shouldn’t they worry about other threats? Get your priorities straight - worry about safety - like what happened last week when a random person with a firearm and explosives just drove onto the tarmac so traffic was suspended and the airport shut down for 19 hours (!!!) instead of making someone throw away their toothpaste and calling them ignorant at the same time?

Just a tip: a smile and a little bit of friendliness make all the difference.

Thank God I don’t have to use that airport much. For the second largest city in Germany it’s a disgrace - both service and shopping wise.

Avoid. At all costs.

Worst airport I've ever gone to. They only let luggage out in 10-bag increments every half hour. It was only by luck that my bag was in the second batch of 10 bags they sent out; I had a second flight I needed to transfer to. Security appeared to be closed when I arrived in the queue. We queued for around an hour and then they opened one security lane. Before my gate, we had to pass through passport control which also was an hour's wait. At this point, our flight's boarding was supposed to have ended, but they waited for us since no one was able to make it to boarding yet and they couldn't leave with an entirely empty plane. The flight was severely delayed due to the airport's incompetence. It's completely bizarre. I don't know how they haven't been sued since this seems to be the norm at Hamburg Airport.

One of the worst airports I've ever used. No food or drink passenger side, awful, avoid if possible.

If I could give this airport zero stars I would.
The security is the worst I have ever seen. Disorganised and extreme to say the least.
The woman security guard that conducted my 'search' went as far as too root through my hair and look down the back of my jumper! She then followed up with a comment stating that the next time I come to this airport make it known that I cannot speak German and I can only speak English, as I was not capable of following instructions!! I presented with an Irish passport and spoke the words hello how are you I think that this is enough for her to know that I speak English!

Awful from start to finish. On arrival, nearly an hour to get through passport control, queues for public transport tickets.
On departure , well, give yourself an hour to check in and a further hour and a half to get through security. No staff to direct passengers or organise the queue. Shambles.

I live in Hamburg and for business reasons I have been flying in and out for over 40 years. HAMBURG AIRPORT always had the charme of a provincial airport and was never better than mediocre in handling passengers, but at least predictable in its mediocrity.
Since the Covid pandemic, however, it has been a disaster. Even today, 1 ½ years after the end of the pandemic, one sometimes has to wait 1 hour in line at the security checkpoint. I don't even want to start talking about the waiting times for baggage delivery. The management's lapidary explanation is always the same: it's so hard to find staff.
BS. All airports in Europe (except Berlin) have managed to get their operation back to normal. The rest of the world, even 3rd world countries, anyway.
And Hamburg? No change in sight. This is of course due to the completely incompetent management (who always praise themselves in interviews how great they do their job). Recently there was a change in the management. Berit Schmitz has joined the team. What did the lady do before? She was managing director of the Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft. There are lots of buses in that city, but no airport in sight (sarcasm...).
The complete management should be fired. But that certainly will never happen, given the entanglement with Hamburg politics. Poor Hamburg.
Former chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who gave his name to the airport and was famous for his organisational talent, will probably have turned over in his grave several times at such smug incompetence.

Security staff rude.90 minutes to go through. They don't care if you lose the plain.

Handling at Security is a disaster and this goes on for months.
The organisation of the passengers is non existing. No barriers and no airport staff resulting in desperate people trying to jump the line and even serious discussions between passengers.
The staff that should manage a situation with hours of waiting time are hurrying away instead of taking control of the situation.
Once inside the security control is even worse. The number of staff was fine but the flow without organisation affecting the staff because most of the time the we’re just waiting which of course affects the spirit of the staff.
The top management must create rapid changes or let others take over.

The airport is nice and spacious but the security check inefficient, worsened by the security personnel being outright rude.

Very rude staff, probably training at Guantanamo. I will avoid this airport because it is a scandal at the security gates, I have not seen anything like it anywhere!!!

Awful security service. The staff are incredibly rude and have unacceptable attitude towards the customers! I was treated like a prisoner while being searched by one of the female staff members! She told me that I am not on holidays anymore and should do what i am being told! The airport staff has no rights to speak to the customers like this! Worst airport I’ve ever been to!!!!

awful customer service from customs officers - we arrived 1 hour late so around 11pm - all non EU into one queue and initially served by just one officer - who was also asking everyone questions to hold up. took around one and a half hours to get through - eventually two other officers started working and one seemed fine and people going through quickly through him. There were young children and old people queuing as well. When I finally got to the front the officer asked questions as why I was visiting etc and then was showing my passport to others and apparently one of my stamps was not centre - not as if I stamp the passport myself!!!! awful awful service and should be ashamed. On return to Gatwick the queue for EVERYONE was about 5 minutes - guess its die to Brexit and small minded from some but not all Germans - get a grip and start treating people properly