Latest news and stories about airport delays in infrastructure in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The PSP processed over 51,000 passengers at national airports by mid-afternoon, with passport control wait times reaching up to one hour in Porto and Lisbon, prompting a reinforcement of staff to manage Schengen area compliance.
Lisbon Airport is experiencing significant travel disruptions as the implementation of the new EU biometric border control system faces critical operational challenges, leading to missed flights and passenger frustration.
Passengers at Lisbon airport report shorter waiting times following the government's deployment of additional resources, though some uncertainty persists regarding the efficacy of new automated systems.
An analysis of the potential challenges facing Portugal's tourism and transport sectors during the summer season, including industrial action and rising costs.
CNN journalist Clarissa Ward reports significant travel chaos and long queues at Lisbon Airport attributed to the implementation of the new EU Entry/Exit System biometric scanning requirements.
Portugal is facing delays or difficulties at the arrival stage.
The Avenida Association warns that operational constraints at Lisbon Airport are damaging Portugal's tourism competitiveness and hindering foreign investment.
Passengers departing from Lisbon airport are facing renewed delays during security screening procedures.
The Portuguese government has acknowledged IT-related constraints affecting border control at Lisbon airport, resulting in missing passenger data and delays, though officials maintain national security remains intact.
New border control systems are causing significant delays at major Portuguese airports, prompting political scrutiny over resource shortages, particularly in Ponta Delgada.
Biometric data collection at major Portuguese airports has been suspended again due to excessive passenger wait times, with authorities implementing an automatic suspension protocol when queues exceed reference limits.
The President of the Tourism Confederation (CTP), Francisco Calheiros, warns that the situation regarding entries into Portugal through Lisbon Airport has improved, but is not resolved and the impact on the country's image has been very negative.
The Tourism Confederation admits that the operational issues at Lisbon airport have caused significant reputational damage.
Delays for arrivals in Portugal at Lisbon Airport have been reduced, but the very negative image of the country remains and has had an impact on tourism.
Delays for arrivals in Portugal at Lisbon Airport have been reduced, but the very negative image of the country remains and has had an impact on tourism.
It comes as no surprise that Humberto Delgado Airport is once again ranked as one of the world's worst in the 2026 AirHelp Score. The annual ranking, which examined 279 airports globally, placed Portela in 274th position, making it the sixth worst on the list. The analysis evaluates criteria such as service excellence, punctuality, claims processing, and the quality of airport shops and dining facilities. Portela achieved a final score of 6.59 points, a slight improvement over the 6.53 points awarded in 2025. Meanwhile, Faro Airport retains its title as the best in Portugal, ranking 192nd globally, while Porto Airport follows in second place nationally, and Madeira Airport drops to third.
Please the greatest number, feign political courage, trade principles for expedients and efficiency for propaganda.
The European Commission announced on Thursday, June 4, the deployment of approximately 25 Frontex agents and the provision of seven to eight million euros in infrastructure to support Portugal with border management, following issues detected with the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES). The support also includes document experts to assist Portuguese authorities in applying the rules. European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Magnus Brunner, told Lusa agency at the start of the Justice and Home Affairs Council that Portugal is doing everything to make the system work and that the Frontex presence aims to reinforce that effort. Brunner also highlighted the preparatory work carried out by Portugal, which has increased human resources, strengthened teams, and improved IT systems. Two weeks after the Commission initially denied a link between queues at Portuguese airports and the EES, and after the government stated it was a European-wide problem, Brunner highlighted that cooperation is now underway. The practical and financial support aims to alleviate immediate constraints and strengthen national capacity to handle EES operations, while Portuguese authorities continue to adjust procedures and technology to normalize border flow. Lisbon Airport will have more manual border control booths.
One hour, five minutes and 35 seconds. Grace, a young English tourist travelling with her boyfriend, shows ECO the image of the stopwatch stopped on her smartphone. That was the time it took them to pass through border control after landing in Lisbon from London this Tuesday morning. And it was not longer because...
Rafael Schvartzman, from the International Air Transport Association for Europe, accuses ANA of 'not doing a good job' at Lisbon airport and criticises the company for 'not reinvesting profits', which amounted to 599 million euros in 2025. He warns of the risk that the airport's limitations pose for this summer.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) suggests that Portugal should pause border control measures until the technology used is proven to be dependable.
The constraints associated with the delays in airport queues have not been enough to convince tourists to choose other countries, as they continue to visit Portugal.
Portuguese airports have been experiencing several constraints in passport control since the introduction of the new European Union entry and exit system. Why is this happening?
The maximum waiting time at arrivals was 60 minutes in Porto and 47 minutes in Lisbon.
The PSP carried out border control for approximately 52,000 passengers at national airports by 3:00 PM this Sunday, deciding to apply 16 precautionary measures to comply with Schengen area rules, according to official information. To reduce queues for passengers from outside the Schengen area, a reinforcement of human resources was decided.
The National Civil Aviation Authority states that passengers who miss flights due to long waiting times at border controls are not entitled to compensation or assistance.
The CEO of the national airport operator stressed, however, that “every day is different”.
Waiting times have decreased, the Government says
The European Commission confirmed this Friday that Portugal may partially suspend the registration of biometric data when necessary, stressing that this is provided for until September in the European Union's (EU) Entry/Exit System regulation. Speaking to Lusa, a spokesperson for the community executive stated that “Portugal has confirmed that it will resort to the partial suspension of...
