Malaga Airport has been blasted by locals over the chaotic scenes witnessed during peak travel times in recent weeks.
It comes as the travel hub is phasing in the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU travellers to register with the database by scanning their face and fingerprints at biometric scanners.
Under EES, anyone from a non-Schengen or ‘third country’ – including the UK – must use biometric scanners, which keep track of the number of days they have spent in the EU (ensuring they don’t exceed their 90 in 180 day limit).
As the system has just begun, Brits and others are using the machines for the first time, and are having to register their fingerprints and face scans, leading to delays when they are up and running at peak times.
However, many passengers claim that a lack of staff during the busiest hours is adding to the episodes of chaos.
Additionally, airport staff have been accused of not being aware of the rules, particulalry regarding whether British residents of Spain can use the EU citizens’ queue at passport control.
A Spaniard named only as Juan M told Diario Sur that his recent return to Malaga from Istanbul was shocking.
He said: ‘Many European passengers ended up in the ‘Non-EU’ queue due to a lack of signage. It took me about 60 minutes to get out, but there were queues that stretched for up to two hours.
‘Furthermore, many tourists asked security personnel what was happening and received the response, ”no hablo ingles (I don’t speak English),’’ which only increased the general frustration.’
Juan also claimed that ‘suitcases were piling up on the carousels and on the floor, with no order or staff organising them.’
He continued: ‘After about 60 minutes of having our passports checked, our suitcases still hadn’t come out because of the chaos on the carousels.
‘There were many taxi drivers and transport companies waiting up to two hours to pick up their passengers, with the resulting financial losses.’
The worldly traveller said other international airports were far superior in comparison, branding Istanbul Airport ‘impeccable’ with ‘clear signage’ and ‘flowing queues’.
On Malaga, he added: ‘When I arrived here, with the capacity and resources we have, it’s surprising to see this disorganisation, understaffing, and lack of foresight.
‘I left in October with the e-gates not working, and I’m returning in November and they still aren’t working, despite the number of flights and passengers arriving. Something is clearly wrong with our infrastructure.
‘Furthermore, it’s unacceptable that Malaga Airport, with the number of travelers it receives annually, projects this image to the outside world.’
In response to Juan’s comments, a spokesperson from the Malaga’s provincial government said EES implentation is proceeding ‘with complete normality on almost every day; however, this does not preclude the possibility of occasional incidents… the new system, which is being implemented gradually, will improve passenger flow and security.’
It comes as British residents in Spain continue to be in the dark about whether or not they can use passport queues for EU nationals.
This week, the Policia Nacional in Malaga told the Spanish Eye that they could, however, as recently as today (November 21), TIE card holders were still being directed to the non-EU queues by airport workers.
Spanish Eye reader Christina Hallet said: ‘That (joining the EU queue) certainly wasn’t happening this morning leaving Malaga for the UK at 10am.
‘We have TIEs with passports and were told to get in the same line as non-EU people.
‘The woman in charge of the line said to use the machine which then told me to go to manual gate… utter chaos, for through in 50 minutes so not the worst I’ve read.’
A Malaga Policia Nacional spokesperson told this paper this week: ‘UK citizens with a Residence Permit and therefore a Foreigner Identity Card (TIE) can use the queues designated for EU citizens.
‘However, these queues are managed by AENA (Spanish Airports and Air Navigation) staff, not the National Police, which could lead to confusion or disruption.
‘UK passengers meeting the aforementioned conditions should be aware of this in order to proceed to the correct queue and avoid procedures that could generate errors in the European Entry/Exit System, which, as you may know, began operating at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport on October 20, 2025.’
They added: ‘Officials at the aforementioned airport have confirmed that they have contacted the various consulates to provide them with information regarding the updates to the Entry and Exit System (EES).’
The Spanish Eye contacted the British Embassy for comment on the issue earlier this week.
A spokesperson previously said: ‘In most cases, UK nationals should use the “all passports” lanes or “visa not required/residents” lanes, where these exist.
‘However, the process for passport lanes can differ depending on the border crossing. UK nationals should follow instructions given by airport and border staff.’
They added: ‘We are not aware of a blanket policy regarding lanes for TIE holders.’
Regarding queues, they said: ‘Passengers should confirm check-in opening times with their airline before they travel and should allow extra time on both arrival into and departure out of Spain at peak times.’
The Spanish Eye has contacted the embassy for an updated comment.
Why should the police speak English? British police don’t speak Spanish. Complaining Brits are becoming tiresome. It’s nearly as bad as all the Brits falling around slobbering drunk at 1:00 am.