British travellers have taken to social media today to warn of ‘crazy’ queues at Malaga Airport.
There were reported to be ‘horrendous’ queues on Friday morning, one of the busiest times of the week.
Lorraine Robertson wrote in a Facebook post: ‘For anyone coming to the airport, please allow extra time for passport control, it is horrendous.’
Another traveller wrote: ‘The queue at 11am this morning went all the way to duty free and circled back to the passport gates. Never seen that before. It’s not a great look for Malaga is it?’
One X user (@furious_ash) issued a warning to fellow British travellers.
‘For the benefit of anyone flying back from Malaga to the UK, get to the airport three hours before,’ he wrote.
‘It’s crazy busy in the passport queue after.’
Kathleen Campbell added: ‘The queue is around 1.5 hours long, people missing flights.
‘I tried to use the border control machines, but got sent to manual check anyway.
‘A complete disaster, with only four border police checking passports manually and no fast track machines working! It’s a nightmare.’
A spokesperson for airport operator Aena told the Spanish Eye today: ‘The European Commission determined that the new automated Entry Exit System would come into effect on October 12.
‘Its implementation will be phased in over 180 days, until April 10, when it will be fully deployed.
‘The phased rollout plan for the Entry Exit System at Spanish airports is designed by the Ministry of the Interior, which sets the milestones and deadlines.
‘Please remember that in Spain, border control is the responsibility of the Policia Nacional.’
Last week, government sources suggested ‘more education is needed’ among British travellers following painful delays, once again on Thursday and Friday.
The problems have been linked to the phased introduction of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which began on October 20.
One Spanish Eye reader said: ‘It was the same today at passport control in arrivals.
‘It looks like they are using the new system, people are getting angry.’
Another told this paper: ‘Disgraceful. People missed the flight I was on. Why? Because passport control was useless. Disgusting way to treat passengers.’
The EES, which will fully replace passport stamping by April next year, means travellers from non-EU countries must use biometric scanners to check they have not overstayed their 90-in-180-day limit.
While waiting up to 30 minutes at passport control is nothing new for Brits, waits of over an hour or in some cases two on Thursday and Friday crossed the line.
Sources at the airport admitted to local newspaper Diario Sur that ‘there were, at times, slightly longer waiting times than usual’, although they were unable to reveal what the cause was.
Spanish Eye reader fumes at passport control queues at Malaga Airport on Friday
They added that the implementation of the EES ‘had always been running smoothly until now’, warning that during the introduction period ‘inconveniences may arise.’
Meanwhile, sources from the provincial government of Malaga said the new EU system ‘is developing normally, which does not mean that at specific times there won’t be some congestion.’
They added that the situation mainly affects British citizens after Brexit, who they claimed ‘are not always aware that they are no longer in Schengen territory’.
They added: ‘Education on this issue is needed.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
