British holidaymakers faced chaotic scenes at Tenerife South Airport on Monday evening, with hundreds of passengers crammed into an overcrowded passport control area in what some described as “inhuman” conditions.
The delays came as several UK flights arrived in quick succession, coinciding with the start of the school holidays. According to eyewitness accounts, 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.
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, 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: “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 happen “almost every night”, with passengers regularly fainting or experiencing serious health problems while waiting.
Blaming the ordeal on an outdated infrastructure and staff shortages, she criticised airport operator AENA and called on the government to increase police numbers. “The officers on duty aren’t to blame, they’re doing what they can, but there simply aren’t enough of them,” she said.
In a further criticism, Ms Torrecillas said major airlines such as Jet2 were not offering basic assistance: “Children weren’t even given a bottle of water while staff chatted in the terminal office.”
The Tenerife hotel association Ashotel has repeatedly warned of the damage these delays could do to the island’s reputation, particularly as British tourists remain its largest market. Since the UK left the EU in January 2021, all British passengers are required to pass through manual passport checks, adding strain to existing resources.
The island’s government has also raised the alarm. In late 2024, the Tenerife Cabildo criticised the Ministry of the Interior for failing to increase police staffing levels at the island’s airports post-Brexit, calling for urgent action to address the “unacceptable” delays.
As peak travel season begins, calls are mounting for authorities to modernise the passport control process and ensure proper staffing to avoid further distress and reputational damage.
