Exceltur warns of "chaos" in Canary Islands airports if passport control teams are not increased

The Exceltur tourism alliance expects a "major chaos" in the Canary Islands airports this summer, especially in those with the highest number of British tourists, if the allocation of passport control teams is not increased, a circumstance that "is not attributable to Aena".

This was stated this Wednesday at the presentation of its report on tourism in the second quarter of the year by the executive vice president of Exceltur, José Luis Zoreda, who expressly pointed out the airports of Málaga, Mallorca, the two in Tenerife and Gran Canaria as those that, foreseeably, will have the greatest problems. Although it should be remembered that Lanzarote airport also receives a large number of British people every year.

Zoreda told Efe that in no case do the problems arise from mismanagement by Aena and urged the Ministry of the Interior to ensure that the main tourist airports and Madrid-Barajas have the necessary police staffing to facilitate passport control for passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries, especially those from the United Kingdom, the main source market for tourists to Spain.

He highlights the "great professionalism" in the management of the significant volume of tourists that Spain receives annually, "unlike other European airports, which can be labeled as chaotic lately".

In these airports, the lack of necessary personnel after Covid to attend to the sudden rebound in travelers is compounded by management problems in the services provided to both airlines and passengers, in addition to those derived from the Ryanair strikes and EasyJet, which are causing "significant problems and deterrent annoyances" to tourists who want to fly to Spain.

For this reason, he urges the Ministry of the Interior to provide the necessary means so that Spanish airports "continue to stand out as the best gateway for tourists to and from our country."