Warning to Portugal holidaymakers over 'unacceptable' airport queues and 3 hour delays
Holidaymakers heading to Portugal this summer are facing lengthy delays and 'unacceptable' queues. Tourists arriving at the country's Faro airport are said to increasingly be dealing with queues and up to three hour delays when going through passport control and there are fears that the airport is not ready for the height of the season.
One passenger, Edward Carter, said he travels between the UK and Faro airport regularly and spoke about the nightmare delays he endured on Sunday, May 18. He told the Portugal Resident he was shocked at the situation and that he was told he couldn't make a complaint to anyone.
Mr Carter said: "The delays occurred in the aftermath of a large number of flight arrivals, but the passenger numbers were apparently as expected.
"In fact, on the day of the delay, passengers on Jet2, for example, were sent text messages warning of the delay at about 5am.'
He went on: 'The delay was unacceptable, affecting as it did, so many people with special assistance needs, senior citizens and also families with small children.
"In the area of the queue there was inadequate access to toilets and no water, which would have affected vulnerable travellers with health issues for example.'
When Mr Carter asked if he could make a complaint to senior management or a senior border police officer, he was told he couldn't.
He said that he had heard that Faro Airport is the only one in the Algarve under such strain and he called for immediate action to sort the situation.
He said: "I was told that Faro is the only airport in Portugal where these delays are suffered and the issue seems to be down to lack of management planning and organisation.
"The tourist industry is going to be adversely affected if passengers face delays like this and no-one admits responsibility. There needs to be an enquiry into what is going wrong so remedial action can be taken'.
The Portugal Resident also heard from James Brooks, a British property owner in the Algarve. He said that he was going so far as to sell his home because of the airport waiting times.
He said: "In my experience, the waiting times have been worse than ever this year.
'This needs exposing. I'm a property owner in the Algarve and we are now selling because of the airport experience."
Meanwhile, APAL – Agência de Promoção de Albufeira, the town's tourism promotion agency, said they had 'deep concern' about the long queues and delays at the airport, warning that such issues jeopardise the region's image and economic health.
They added: "It is fundamental to stress that this is not an isolated incident.
"The repetition of these failures compromises the quality of the tourism offering in the Algarve and undermines the perception of efficiency in our welcoming services.'
The director of ANA Aeroportos de Portugal, Francisco Vieira Pita, blamed the upgrading of the airport's Internal Security System for delays and waiting times.
He insisted this is a 'temporary' situation while adding that staffing issues within PSP police are beyond the airport's control.
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