Latest news and stories about airport security in infrastructure in Portugal for expats and residents.
Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz stated that there is no longer chaos at Portuguese airports, citing a reinforcement of security forces for border control. The government expects a calmer summer season for travelers following these operational adjustments.
The government will deploy 340 additional Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) officers to international airports starting July 4 to reduce wait times. Interior Minister Luís Neves confirmed that 140 officers will be assigned to Lisbon, 100 to Porto, and the remainder to Faro, Funchal, and Ponta Delgada. The minister acknowledged that while this reinforcement aims to streamline border procedures, ongoing digital issues continue to impact operational speed.
The PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) is Portugal's national civilian police force, founded in 1867. Responsible for defending Republican democracy and safeguarding internal security and citizens' rights, the PSP polices major cities—Lisbon, Porto, Faro—and large urban areas, covering only 4% of Portugal's territory but roughly half the population. Led by a National Director under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its approximately 21,500 officers handle preventive policing, crime investigation, public order, airport security, diplomatic protection, private security regulation, firearms licensing, and border control (since 2023).
PSP vs. GNR: The PSP is civilian with police-focused training and urban jurisdiction, while the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) is military (gendarmerie) with military training, covering 96% of Portugal's rural and suburban territory. Both share core public safety missions but differ fundamentally in nature, training, and geographic responsibility.
Luís Neves will take office on Monday as Minister of Internal Administration. He graduated in law and has worked at the Judicial Police since 1995, where he served as coordinator of a national unit and developed a long career in criminal investigation.
A December audit by the European Commission identified serious deficiencies in border control procedures at Lisbon and Porto airports. Brussels warned that these failures could negatively impact other European Union member states and compromise security. Separately, local authorities in Horta have expressed concern over operational restrictions imposed by the National Civil Aviation Authority (Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil or ANAC) that are forcing flight diversions.
ANAC (Autoridade Nacional da Aviação Civil) is Portugal's national civil aviation regulator, responsible for safety oversight, licensing and economic regulation of airlines, airports and ground-handling services. It oversees tenders and issues licences such as the recent ground-handling awards for Lisbon, Porto and Faro, so its decisions directly affect airport operations, service providers and related jobs.
A 3.9 million euro contract has been awarded to provide technical assistance, training, and maintenance for biometric control systems at airports under the European Entry/Exit System.
Lisbon's Red Line metro service faced significant disruptions after a pipe burst caused water accumulation in the tunnels, leading passengers to evacuate onto the tracks and forcing a temporary suspension of operations between Chelas and the airport.
A total of 367 PSP officers from the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders have completed their training to reinforce air border control operations at Portuguese airports.
The Portuguese government has proposed a new monthly subsidy for airport police officers, starting at 135 euros in July and increasing to 160 euros by 2027, though the exclusion of GNR personnel has sparked criticism from unions.
The European Commission has granted Portugal the authority to temporarily suspend biometric border control systems at airports, with the Ministry of Internal Administration clarifying that the PSP holds the operational decision-making power for these short-term measures.
The Portuguese government is deploying over 360 additional police officers to airports, including new manual control booths at Lisbon Airport, to address significant passenger wait times and improve border operational efficiency.
Four passengers entered a restricted area of Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon this Tuesday.
The group opened an emergency door to access a restricted area at Humberto Delgado airport. CNN Portugal journalist Margarida Neves de Sousa provides more details.
An emergency door was opened improperly on Tuesday morning, September 29, at Terminal 1 of Humberto Delgado Airport, allowing four passengers to enter a restricted area intended for travelers who had already passed through security checks. According to a statement released by the Public Security Police (PSP), the four passengers involved were subsequently identified. The police did not disclose the circumstances under which the door was opened nor did they indicate any potential consequences for those involved. Following the incident, police resources were deployed and security measures were adopted in coordination with the airport manager and other entities responsible for civil aviation security. The non-Schengen departure border was temporarily closed during the occurrence, being reopened after authorities considered the necessary security conditions restored. The PSP, through the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF), classified the occurrence as a civil aviation security incident. Passengers from a flight disembarked in the wrong area at Lisbon airport. The border was temporarily closed. Lisbon Airport will have increased border capacity starting today.
Since September, Portuguese airports have been required to collect biometric data.
RENA – The Association of Airline Companies in Portugal argues that the European Union should continue to allow the temporary suspension of the border control system involving biometric data collection at airports, granting governments greater decision-making latitude. “We believe that the situation has since improved and there are more resources to respond to potential...”
This man, about whom one of the few certainties is that he was not the Minister of Internal Administration, managed, for a few moments, to be news. That is no small feat.
In an unusual incident, a man jumped the fence and walked along part of the Lisbon airport runway. The incident, which is already being investigated by the authorities, took place on Sunday morning. The 36-year-old Portuguese man was intercepted, offered no resistance, and was transported to the hospital.
A 36-year-old man was intercepted by airport workers. He was handed over to the PSP, subsequently assisted by INEM, and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
After being intercepted, the man was assisted by INEM and transported to a hospital unit for medical evaluation.
The Prime Minister defended the Minister of Internal Administration and says that Luís Neves is doing work of “extremely high quality and competence.”
Brazilians and other non-European Union citizens will have 100% of their biometric data collected at Portuguese airports. Still in the implementation phase, the system has caused long queues at terminals.
The collection of biometric data from foreign passengers will be carried out at a 100% rate starting September 6, the Prime Minister announced during a visit to Lisbon Airport. “On September 6, we will need to collect 100% of the biometric data from citizens outside the European Union...”
In recent years, the debate on airport security has focused almost exclusively on what happens on the ground: checks, perimeters, and access surveillance. This is a correct approach, but currently insufficient. Nowadays, the low-altitude strip immediately above the runways requires the same attention. Until a few years ago, this area...
The PSP was called after the weapons were detected during security control and screening.
The Lisbon airport border was temporarily closed today after passengers from a flight arriving from Brazil disembarked in the wrong area, causing a mix of passengers, the PSP confirmed.
The reinforcement aims to respond to the higher flow of passengers during the summer. Officers will undergo a two-week operational internship with supervision before assuming permanent duties.
The measure aims to increase the PSP's capacity for passenger control and avoid the queues seen in recent times.
In this newspaper, a preview of the Iberian duel in the World Cup round of 16. Also in this edition, the start of the AD parliamentary sessions and a look at the reinforcement of PSP officers at national airports.
Home News Airports in Portugal to have police reinforcement Airports in Portugal to have police reinforcement The Minister of Home Affairs (MAI) stated that the reinforcement of 367 PSP agents at airport borders will enable faster passenger processing, although he admits that occasional queues wi
