TW
7

If you are catching a flight from Palma airport, arrive three hours earlier than your departure time because of the long queues at passport control. This is the conclusion I have come to after talking to a large number of readers who have been caught up in the scandalous lack of police at the airport. The blame can be firmly attached to the interior ministry in Madrid. It should ensure that there are the necessary resources available at the airport, especially during the peak summer months. One reader told me yesterday that he had queued for about two hours at Palma airport, while the whole process was completed within a matter of minutes at Edinburgh airport.

This leads to the next point: why do passports have to be checked on departure and then arrival? Isn’t once enough? The interior ministry must also realise that many passengers have young children, but they do not want to leave the queue for fear of losing their place. One reader told me that the queues were not doing Majorca any favours, with many saying that they will never return.

Everyone agrees that security has to be tight and passports checked, but the necessary manpower needs to be available. It is not the fault of British passengers (because this problem only affects the British) that the United Kingdom did not sign the Schengen agreement on cross-border travel. There are thousands of people who have worked long and hard to ensure that tourists have a great time. It is a shame the interior ministry can’t do the same.