Officials in Tenerife are demanding urgent action after chaotic scenes at the island’s south airport left more than 500 passengers waiting for hours at passport control, with not enough officers on duty to process arrivals.
The President of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, and Tourism Minister, Lope Afonso, have called for an emergency meeting with government representatives and airport operator AENA following the latest incident at the airport.
Speaking after Monday night’s disruption, Dávila described the situation as “unacceptable” and blamed it on a long-standing failure to provide enough border control staff since the UK’s exit from the EU.
Long Waits, Overcrowding and Frustration
Passengers arriving on several flights from the UK were caught in long queues, unable to pass through border checks for more than two hours. The airport’s automated systems cannot be used by children, meaning families were forced to wait for manual checks of their passports, only to find most booths unmanned and police presence minimal.
Dávila said she had already written to Spain’s Interior Minister last year warning of these issues, but had received only a brief acknowledgement in 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.
"This Is Not a One-Off"
The island’s leaders say the problem is not new. “This is a structural issue. We can’t continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit,” Dávila added.
Tourism boss Lope Afonso warned that these incidents are damaging Tenerife’s reputation with holidaymakers. “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?”
Afonso said the tourism sector is the backbone of the island’s economy and called on the Spanish government to step up and take responsibility. “We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead,” he added.
The Cabildo is now waiting for a response from the central government as pressure mounts for the crisis to be resolved.
