Latest news with #TenerifeSouthAirport
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."
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
UK tourists rage at 'inhuman' Brexit queues at airport in travel hotspot
An emergency meeting has been called among top Spanish politicians after British travellers found themselves trapped in two-hour queues and "inhuman" conditions at the start of the school holidays, before even making it through passport control. On Monday (May 26), around 500 UK holidaymakers found themselves stuck waiting on the tarmac at Tenerife South Airport for up to 45 minutes, before disembarking to find broken-down escalators and vast lines stretching in and out of the terminal to have their passports checked. At the airport, some travellers reported seeing four officials manning just two passport control booths. As a result, passengers were crammed into a situation described as "claustrophobic" and "third world," reports The Mirror. Lourdes Tourecillas, a local resident who was returning from Bristol, told Canarian Weekly: "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating." "There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed," she added. The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, has called an emergency meeting in light of the incident, with chaos and long queues becoming a common problem at the busy airport during peak tourism periods. Dávila called the situation "unacceptable", but blamed the situation 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 process children's passports. This meant families having to queue with kids and baggage for hours in sweltering, lengthy, lines to kick off their holidays. The council's President said she had written to mainland politicians, but received no meaningful 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. "Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we?" He also had a warning for summer travellers if Spanish mainland politicians don't take action, saying: "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
'Inhuman' queues at Spanish airport force officials into emergency meeting
Tenerife's President has called for an emergency meeting after 'inhuman' queues at the Spanish airport left Brits and other tourists waiting for two hours in a 'third world' situation. Top Spanish officials have urgently convened following a debacle that saw British holidaymakers caught in two-hour queues and facing "inhuman" conditions at the onset of the school holidays, all before they could even pass through passport control. On Monday (May 26), approximately 500 UK tourists were left stranded on the tarmac at Tenerife South Airport for as long as 45 minutes. Upon disembarking, they were greeted by out-of-service escalators and extensive queues snaking through the terminal for passport inspection. Inside the airport, reports emerged of only four officials operating a mere two passport booths, leading to overcrowded conditions that passengers labelled as "claustrophobic" and reminiscent of "third world" standards. Lourdes Tourecillas, a local returning from Bristol, recounted to Canarian Weekly the dire situation: "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating," she said, also noting the absence of toilets and visible distress among the people. Rosa Dávila, President of Tenerife's governing council, has responded to the incident with an emergency meeting, as such chaos and lengthy queues have become all too familiar scenes at this bustling hub during high tourist seasons, reports the Mirror. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We 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. Dávila has deemed the circumstances "unacceptable" but pointed to the ongoing issue of inadequate staffing for border controls since Britain's departure from the European Union as the root cause. She added: "This is a structural issue. We can't continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit." Monday posed a significant challenge for travellers as the airport's automated checking systems failed to process children's passports effectively. Consequently, families were subjected to long queues in the sweltering heat, with their children and luggage in tow, creating a stressful start to their holidays. The council's President expressed her frustration after reaching out to mainland politicians and getting no substantial reply. "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 stated. Lope Afonso, Tenerife's Tourism Minister, conveyed his concerns regarding the negative impact on the island's tourism image. "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 remarked. "Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we?". A warning was also issued by him for future holiday goers, especially in anticipation of the forthcoming summer rush, underlining the urgency of the situation. "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead," he cautioned.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Spanish officials face emergency after Brits experience 'inhumane' queues
Hundreds of British holidaymakers found themselves trapped in 'inhumane conditions' at a packed Spanish airport with just two booths open to check their passports An emergency meeting has been called among top Spanish politicians after British travellers found themselves trapped in two-hour queues and "inhuman" conditions at the start of the school holidays, before even making it through passport control. On Monday (May 26), around 500 UK holidaymakers found themselves stuck waiting on the tarmac at Tenerife South Airport for up to 45 minutes, before disembarking to find broken-down escalators and vast lines stretching in and out of the terminal to have their passports checked. At the airport, some travellers reported seeing four officials manning just two passport control booths. As a result, passengers were crammed into a situation described as "claustrophobic" and "third world". Lourdes Tourecillas, a local resident who was returning from Bristol, told Canarian Weekly that, "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating," adding, "there were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.' The President of Tenerife's ruling council, Rosa Dávila, has called an emergency meeting in light of the incident, with chaos and long queues becoming a common problem at the busy airport during peak tourism periods. Dávila called the situation "unacceptable" but blamed the situation 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 process children's passports. This meant families having to queue with kids and baggage for hours in sweltering, lengthy, lines to kick off their holidays. The council's President said she had written to mainland politicians, but received no meaningful 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."
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment Ryanair passenger jet lurches from side to side and is forced to abort its landing moments after touching down during storm in Tenerife
A Ryanair passenger jet was forced to abort its landing moments after touching down in a popular Spanish holiday destination, video captured by air traffic controllers has revealed. Footage allegedly captured from the control tower shows the plane lurching from side to side as it attempted to land at Tenerife South Airport during a storm last Thursday. The flight deck was forced to abort its final approach due to what controllers described as a 'shear-related glitch'. The pilot quickly executed an apparent 'go-around' manoeuvre, which sees an aircraft begin a climb back into the air instead of landing. A go-around manoeuvre is initiated when conditions are deemed unsafe for landing. Spain 's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) says adverse weather impacted airports across the Canary Islands - including Tenerife South and Gran Canaria - on Thursday. Several missed approaches were recorded throughout the day due to strong tailwinds, opposing runway conditions and wind shears, Canarian Weekly reports. A wind shear, which caused the pilot in Tenerife to abort landing, refers to a sudden change in speed or velocity over a short distance. Meteorologists say they are most often caused by small, yet intense storm bursts. 'This is how a shear-related glitch looks from the Tenerife South control tower,' Spanish air traffic controllers wrote as they shared the footage online. The controllers, in a series of comments on X, revealed that when a wind shear occurs, the crew will inform them that they are 'executing a go-around'. 'There's a published missed approach manoeuvre, so, in principle, we know what they're going to do. And if we need to give them alternative instructions, we give them those too,' the controllers explained. Air traffic control will then ask the crew what there intentions are, noting that they 'basically have three options'. Crew can either 'try again, divert to an alternate airport, or hold while they decide what to do', the controllers added. 'Based on that, we guide them according to their request. Often, they land without problems on the second attempt,' they concluded. Spanish air traffic control noted that 'several glitches were recorded' on Thursday due to wind shears. The controllers, in their posts, did not report any serious incidents or injuries.
