Brits travelling to Spain this weekend have been warned to brace for disruption at airports after passengers reported scenes of ‘absolute chaos’, ‘total carnage’ and waits of several hours at passport control.
Fresh concerns have emerged at both Malaga Airport and Menorca Airport as Spain adapts to the rollout of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES).
The system requires non-EU travellers to undergo biometric checks involving passport scans, fingerprints and facial recognition when entering and leaving the Schengen zone.
Passengers arriving into Malaga this Friday described ‘absolute chaos’ in arrivals, with some claiming they waited more than two hours to clear passport control.
It seems the episodes of meltdowns are staggered, however, with many claiming to have sailed through.
Airports are especially busier this weekend as it is a bank holiday in the UK on Monday.
One traveller wrote on social media: ‘Absolute chaos at Malaga Airport with the passport controls. Over two hours of waiting. What a shameful permanent punishment for Malaga.’
The situation appears to be equally severe in Menorca, where British tourist Mandy Morris described scenes of ‘complete carnage’ while attempting to leave the island on Friday afternoon.
‘There were just two uniformed police doing the manual checks,’ she wrote.
‘People were shouting, children were crying and airport coordinators were visibly stressed.’
According to Morris, even passengers requiring assistance were left stranded during the chaos.
‘Nobody was priority. Even those with assisted travel were completely abandoned. A couple in wheelchairs by us, the travel assistant went off and never returned.’
She said queues had already spiralled out of control by 11.30am despite her flight not departing until 2.25pm.
‘We genuinely thought we were going to miss the flight,’ she said.
Morris also criticised airline staff after claiming passengers received little information or support during the delays.
She said passengers were only finally rushed through to the boarding gates at the very last minute.
‘When we boarded the plane it was already virtually fully seated.’
The traveller warned the experience had been so stressful that her family is now considering cancelling a future holiday to Spain altogether.
‘I really don’t envy those holidaying in June, July and August at peak time,’ she added.
It comes amid pressure on Spanish authorities and airport operators ahead of what is expected to be one of the busiest summers on record for British tourism in Spain.
The EES system officially became operational earlier this year, but airports across southern Europe have faced mounting criticism over huge delays caused by malfunctioning biometric kiosks, staffing shortages and slow processing times.
Industry figures say the new system can take several minutes per passenger compared to the few seconds previously required for a simple passport stamp.
At smaller airports such as Menorca, even minor delays can quickly spiral into enormous queues when several large flights arrive or depart at the same time.
Passengers and tourism businesses have also warned the disruption risks damaging local economies, with travellers stuck in passport lines instead of spending money in airport shops, bars and restaurants.
Budget airline Ryanair has repeatedly called on the Spanish government to suspend the EES rollout until after summer, warning that airports including Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife and Lanzarote are already suffering ‘hours-long passport control queues’.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary recently branded the system a ‘shambles’ and warned the disruption could worsen significantly once peak summer crowds arrive in June, July and August.
