Due to the queues at passport control, 1,000 passengers were affected at Barajas T4 this weekend on connecting flights and a total of 4,500 travellers so far in March, said the ALA president.
He regretted that this situation is affecting certain time slots where “there are not enough members of the National Police”.
As a result, he explained that tourists on intercontinental flights are finding it difficult to catch their stopovers on time due to the long queues at checkpoints.
Gándara warned that “not long from now” the large influx of British passengers will begin, so he said that “by then it will not only be a possible problem for Barajas, but also for other tourist airports such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, Alicante and Malaga”.
“We are asking for the necessary resources to be put in place to be able to meet demand,” he said.
He stressed that in the case of Spain more than 80% of international visitors travel to the country by air: “It is the first perception that tourists who visit us have and that the image is of endless queues or missed connections and this is the last thing we need,” he added.
Airport operator AENA has said that border force is not its responsibility and it is up to the Ministry for Interior to resolve the problem of a lack of National Police officers at key times.
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Zoltan TeglasGive credit where credit is due. This red top doesn't *always* print "Rule Brittania" stuff. There's been a number of articles lately that are absolutely the opposite, and actually not thinly veiled to imply some distant British victory or atrocious abuse. And face it, it's always amusing (sometimes hilarious) when they do print the "Rule Brittania" or "poor-abused-Brits-at-the-hands-of-unsavoury-foreigners" stuff, with headlines that go to wild, long British-spin stretches from the actual issue or topic ...like other tabloids. Just enjoy the ride.
Morgan WilliamsI sometimes think this paper must be owned by Murdoch or the people who own the Mail or Express, as their sole aim seems to be make people angry and feel a sense of injustice. 'Everyone is out to get us' The poor, hard working British 'expats' being victimised by nasty foreigners, woke left wing governments, Spanish builders, Spanish drivers, or whoever is the enemy of the week. etc etc. It's quite funny though and an easy wind up on here.
Zoltan TeglasFunny thing is that Brits have *always* had to go through passport control. Pre- or post-brexit. Also...one would think that since Brits are now all going to Egypt and Turkey in search of cheapness (or in some sort of twisted "Brexit consequences" protest) one would expect that any passport queues in Mallorca would be nearly nil. After all, the vast majority of tourists here don't need to go through passport control. And those "others" that do have to go through passport control don't ever seem to find it objectionable... as if they expect it. Go figure.
In the perfect world there would be 2 queues for Brits. The long one for the Brexit voters, and the short one for the people who weren't so easily conned. Everyone would get what they voted for.
Don't you just hate it when Brits are in inconvenienced? Shouldn't they have a separate line for "entitled Brits" which lets them arrive without passport control? We are, after all, superior in every way.
Every Season it is chaos. Caused by reticent incompetence of the Authorities responsible. Have they scrapped the 90 day stay ruling ? I suspect not. Are they enforcing new rules and entry requirements? Yes. Well done for causing more misery to the unsuspecting Tourist. Milk them for as much money as possible before they get into their Hotel Rooms. Bienvenido!!!!
Just the same every Season!!!