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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Tourists face 'inhuman' queues at Spanish airport amid emergency meeting
Hundreds of UK holidaymakers were left queuing for hours at Tenerife South Airport on Monday, with chaos and 'inhuman' conditions reportedly leaving kids and parents distressed Brits caught in the chaos of Tenerife South Airport have described horrifying scenes as crowds wilted in the heat. Last Monday night, coinciding with the school holidays in the UK, more than 500 people found themselves packed into a waiting area at the Canary Islands travel hub. They waited for hours to pass through the security as a bottleneck formed by two checkpoints, each staffed by two National Police officers. Top Spanish officials will now hold an urgent meeting after the tourists faced "inhuman" conditions at the start of the school holidays. Many were held on a sweltering plane for 45 minutes, only to disembark and find broken escalators and lengthy queues for passport checks. Becks Gravil was one of those swept up in the chaos. It took her family two hours to leave the airport after landing at 8.30pm. "Never in my life have I ever seen it this bad," she explained. "There was fighting, people being sick, people fainting - all crammed in like sardines. What should have been an hour from landing to Adeje turned into four hours. What a day!" Lourdes Torrecillas, who had just landed from Bristol, described the horror that unfolded in front of her after she disembarked following a long wait on the tarmac. "They kept us on the plane for 45 minutes without being able to leave, and when we arrived at the terminal, the escalators weren't working. Retirees and entire families with babies had to cope as best they could, carrying their children and belongings in the midst of a huge traffic jam," she told Diario. 'There were more than 500 people waiting standing, we couldn't move our arms or even breathe, everyone was sweating; there were elderly couples and babies under a year old; some children were crying, others were screaming, and some parents were carrying them on their shoulders so they wouldn't suffocate. "Next to me was an elderly man with an insulin pump, and further away, a frantic family; I thought something serious could happen. There weren't even bathrooms in that area." A taxi driver who picks up passengers from the airport claimed that such waits and crowds are a regular occurrence and that medical workers are often called on to care for unwell passengers who suffer fainting spells. Other Brits who had recently jetted out to Tenerife claimed they'd had similar issues on different dates. Lynda McLaughlin said: "It is nothing to do with half term. We landed on May 3 at 12.30pm and this is exactly how it was then. There was no organisation whatsoever. It is crazy." Another passenger who landed on the same day described it as "hell". Carol Perry added: "The same happened to us three weeks ago, at the same time of night. There were only two passport control officers on and one person trying to sort out queues who didn't have a clue what she was doing. It was bedlam. It wasn't school holidays then either. Tenerife's ruling council, has called an emergency meeting in response to the incident, citing the recurring chaos during peak tourism periods. Dávila deemed the situation "unacceptable", attributing it to inadequate staffing for border checks following the UK's EU exit. If Labour is able to push ahead with its plans for UK passport holders to use queues for EU citizens only, this issue could be eased in coming months. The situation at the airport was made worse on Monday when the automated check-in systems failed to recognise children's passports, forcing families with their little ones and luggage to wait for hours under the scorching heat just to begin their holidays. Get travel warnings straight to your WhatsApp! Off on holiday soon? The Mirror has launched its very own Travel WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest travel warnings for everything from staycations to getaways in sunny Spain. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Expressing her frustration, the council's President disclosed that she had reached out to mainland politicians but was met with lacklustre responses, lamenting, "There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail," she said. Tenerife Tourism Minister Lope Afonso expressed alarm at the first impression visitors receive, stating, "This is the first impression our visitors get. After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination," he explained. Additionally, Afonso issued a stark warning about the potential disaster awaiting summer tourists if improvements are not made urgently. He said: "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Brits forced into HUGE queues at Spain airport fearing kids would ‘suffocate' in lines so big planes couldn't disembark
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HUNDREDS of Brit tourists have been trapped like cattle in "inhuman" conditions at a Spanish airport - forcing politicians into a crisis meeting. Parents had to lift their children in the air to "stop them suffocating" in the crush at Tenerife airport this week. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Were you stuck in the queues at Tenerife airport? Email 5 Hundreds of people queued out of the building to be allowed into Tenerife Credit: Tiktok 5 Inside, people were crammed like cattle in stuffy and 'inhuman' conditions Credit: Tiktok 5 Some passengers arriving at Tenerife airport were even forced to wait on the plane for almost an hour Credit: Getty Around 500 holidaymakers faced a hellish start to their trips on Monday. Several UK flights arrived in quick succession, and there were just two passport booths staff by four officers on hand to process the hoards. Progress was agonisingly slow - with passengers crammed in line for over two hours before finally getting through. Some were even held on the stuffy plane on the runway for almost an hour while the backlog cleared. Conditions were sweltering inside the airport, with some even branding the nightmare "inhuman". Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, told local media the situation "claustrophobic" and "third world". She was made to sit on the plane for 45 minutes and said: "Once inside, we couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating. There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' The local fumed: 'This was an inhumane wait. These are people who've paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn't be treated like cattle.' Major Brit holiday airport fumigated after infestation of BEDBUGS with passengers & airline staff reporting itchy bites Lourdes slammed the lack of medical care and revealed that the airline did not even provide children with water. She also claimed staff said the airport descends into similar chaos "almost every night". But the exhausted passenger ultimately laid the blame at the feet of the airport operator, AENA, and called on the government to boost the workforce. One of the reasons behind Monday's bedlam was that the airport's automatic check in system could not process children's passports. This led to families with restless kids and piles of luggage stranded in crowds for hours. 5 There were just two passport booths run by four officers processing the crowds Credit: Tiktok 5 Tenerife is a hugely popular holiday destination thanks to its idyllic coastline Credit: Getty The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, called an emergency meeting following the mayhem. She admitted the situation was "unacceptable", but blamed a lack of border staff which she said has been a problem ever since Brexit. Similar chaos has played out at the airport in the past during peak tourism season. Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians but feels abandoned by them. She vented: "There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. "We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail." The Tenerife hotel association, Ashotel, has repeatedly warned that these intolerable delays will spoil the island's reputation and deter Brits from coming. Tenerife's Tourism Minister, Lope Afonso, warned: "This is the first impression our visitors get. "After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. "It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination." He continued: "Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we? "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Brits forced into HUGE queues at Spain airport fearing kids would ‘suffocate' in lines so big planes couldn't disembark
HUNDREDS of Brit tourists have been trapped like cattle in "inhuman" conditions at a Spanish airport - forcing politicians into a crisis meeting. Parents had to lift their children in the air to "stop them suffocating" in the crush at Tenerife airport this week. 5 5 5 Around 500 holidaymakers faced a hellish start to their trips on Monday. Several UK flights arrived in quick succession, and there were just two passport booths staff by four officers on hand to process the hoards. Progress was agonisingly slow - with passengers crammed in line for over two hours before finally getting through. Some were even held on the stuffy plane on the runway for almost an hour while the backlog cleared. Conditions were sweltering inside the airport, with some even branding the nightmare "inhuman". Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, told local media the situation "claustrophobic" and "third world". She was made to sit on the plane for 45 minutes and said: "Once inside, we couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating. There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' The local fumed: 'This was an inhumane wait. These are people who've paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn't be treated like cattle.' Major Brit holiday airport fumigated after infestation of BEDBUGS with passengers & airline staff reporting itchy bites Lourdes slammed the lack of medical care and revealed that the airline did not even provide children with water. She also claimed staff said the airport descends into similar chaos "almost every night". But the exhausted passenger ultimately laid the blame at the feet of the airport operator, AENA, and called on the government to boost the workforce. One of the reasons behind Monday's bedlam was that the airport's automatic check in system could not process children's passports. This led to families with restless kids and piles of luggage stranded in crowds for hours. 5 5 The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, called an emergency meeting following the mayhem. She admitted the situation was "unacceptable", but blamed a lack of border staff which she said has been a problem ever since Brexit. Similar chaos has played out at the airport in the past during peak tourism season. Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians but feels abandoned by them. She vented: "There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. "We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail." What are the passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know. "Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months. "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK. "Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page." The Tenerife hotel association, Ashotel, has repeatedly warned that these intolerable delays will spoil the island's reputation and deter Brits from coming. Tenerife's Tourism Minister, Lope Afonso, warned: "This is the first impression our visitors get. "After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. "It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination." "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Brits forced into HUGE queues at Spain airport fearing kids would ‘suffocate' in lines so big planes couldn't disembark
HUNDREDS of Brit tourists have been trapped like cattle in "inhuman" conditions at a Spanish airport - forcing politicians into a crisis meeting. Parents had to lift their children in the air to "stop them suffocating" in the crush at Were you stuck in the queues at Tenerife airport? Email 5 Hundreds of people queued out of the building to be allowed into Tenerife Credit: Tiktok 5 Inside, people were crammed like cattle in stuffy and 'inhuman' conditions Credit: Tiktok 5 Some passengers arriving at Tenerife airport were even forced to wait on the plane for almost an hour Credit: Getty Around 500 holidaymakers Several UK flights arrived in quick succession , and there were just two passport booths staff by four officers on hand to process the hoards. Progress was agonisingly slow - with passengers crammed in line for over two hours before finally getting through. read more on spain's airports Some were even held on the stuffy plane on the runway for almost an hour while the backlog cleared. Conditions were sweltering inside Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, told local media the situation "claustrophobic" and "third world". She was made to sit on the plane for 45 minutes and said: "Once inside, we couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. Most read in The Sun "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating. There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' The local fumed: 'This was an inhumane wait. These are people who've paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn't be treated like cattle.' Major Brit holiday airport fumigated after infestation of BEDBUGS with passengers & airline staff reporting itchy bites Lourdes slammed the lack of medical care and revealed that the airline did not even provide children with water. She also claimed staff said the airport descends into similar chaos "almost every night". But the exhausted passenger ultimately laid the blame at the feet of the airport operator, AENA, and called on the government to boost the workforce. One of the reasons behind Monday's bedlam was that the airport's automatic check in system could not process children's passports. This led to families with restless kids and piles of luggage stranded in crowds for hours. 5 There were just two passport booths run by four officers processing the crowds Credit: Tiktok 5 Tenerife is a hugely popular holiday destination thanks to its idyllic coastline Credit: Getty The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, called an emergency meeting following the mayhem. She admitted the situation was "unacceptable", but blamed a lack of border staff which she said has been a problem ever since Brexit. Similar chaos has played out at the airport in the past during peak tourism season. Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians but feels abandoned by them. She vented: "There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. "We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail ." What are the passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know. "Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months. "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK. "Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page." The Tenerife hotel association, Ashotel, has repeatedly warned that these intolerable delays will spoil the island's reputation and deter Brits from coming. Tenerife's Tourism Minister, Lope Afonso, warned: "This is the first impression our visitors get. "After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. "It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination." He continued: "Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we? "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Airport chaos forces British families to 'lift children on to shoulders to stop them suffocating' amid 'inhuman' conditions as hundreds are trapped in overcrowded passport control in Tenerife
Airport chaos forced British families to 'lift children onto their shoulders to stop them suffocating' after hundreds of holidaymakers were trapped in an overcrowded passport control in Tenerife. Officials called an emergency meeting after passengers raged at the 'inhumane' conditions that saw them packed together 'like cattle' as they waited in line on Monday. The nightmare unfolded after several UK flights arrived in quick succession and caused severe delays. More than 500 people were left waiting for over two hours in sweltering conditions, as just two passport control booths staffed by four officers attempted to process the entire crowd, according to Canarian Weekly. Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, described the situation as 'claustrophobic' and 'third world'. She told local media that passengers were made to wait 45 minutes on the plane before being allowed to disembark to passport control, only to find the airport's escalators out of service. 'Families with babies and elderly passengers had to carry their children and luggage through a packed terminal. 'Once inside, we couldn't move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating,' she said. 'There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' Ms Torrecillas, who frequently travels to the UK, said the conditions were unacceptable, adding: 'This was an inhumane wait. 'These are people who've paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn't be treated like cattle.' She also raised concerns about the lack of medical support, claiming that airport staff told her similar scenes occur nearly every night - with passengers regularly fainting or experiencing serious health problems while waiting. The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, has called an emergency meeting following the incident, with chaos often ensuing during peak tourism periods. Dávila called the situation 'unacceptable' but blamed it on the continued failure to provide sufficient staff for border checks ever since the UK left the European Union. She added: 'This is a structural issue. We can't continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit.' A major issue facing travellers on Monday was the inability of the airport's automated checking systems to check children's passports. This lead to families having to queue with children and baggage for hours before they could being their holidays. Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians, but received no satisfactory response. 'There's a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail,' she said. Lope Afonso, Tenerife's Tourism Minister, warned: 'This is the first impression our visitors get. After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination,' he said. 'Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we?' He also had a warning for summer travellers, if mainland politicians don't take action, saying: 'We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead.'
