No hugging for more than 3 minutes: a restrictive sign was installed at the New Zealand airport

No hugging for more than 3 minutes: a restrictive sign was installed at the New Zealand airport

Kyiv  •  UNN

October 21 2024, 08:27 AM  •  7157 views

Farewell hugs from loved ones can lead to trouble at a New Zealand airport if they last more than three minutes.

Dunedin International Airport in New Zealand has introduced a three-minute hug limit as part of efforts to improve security and maintain traffic in the landing zone. UNN reports with reference to The Guardian. 

A sign installed in the airport's passenger drop-off area warns: “The maximum hugging time is 3 minutes. For longer goodbyes, please use the parking lot.

Dan de Bono, the head of Dunedin Airport, said that the warning signs in the passenger drop-off area can be “quite intense” and include threats to clamp down on wheels or impose fines, which the airport would like to avoid.

“It's an airport, and these drop-off points are normal places to say goodbye,” De Bono said, adding that too many people stand in the drop-off area for a long time.

“There is no room for others. It's about giving others the opportunity to embrace,” said the airport manager. 

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According to de Bono, sometimes travelers use the landing zone to make love at the last minute.

“Airports are centers of emotion... Over the years, our employees have seen a lot of interesting things,” added  de Bono. 

He also said that the new sign “caused quite a stir”.

Critics in the Facebook post, which received tens of thousands of views and comments, said the airport cannot dictate how long hugs can be given, with one commenter calling the rule “inhumane.” Others praised the airport for its friendly approach, at a time when airports around the world are imposing fees for passenger disembarkation.

According to de Bono, the airport will not have a special “hug police” unit to enforce this rule, but employees can politely ask those standing in the parking lot to move to another location.

We are not here to tell people how long they should hug, but to say: “Please move away and make room for others.

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