Ryanair says passengers are ‘suffering' in 2.5 hour queues due to Portuguese border control delays

Ryanair has blasted Portuguese border control, saying its passengers have 'suffered' through long delays or have missed flights due to staff shortages.
The budget airline carrier called on the Portuguese government to 'urgently fix' border control staff shortages at some of the country's busiest airports, including Faro, Lisbon and Porto.
Ryanair said that passengers, many of whom are travelling with young families, are 'suffering' due to unnecessary border control delays of up to two and a half hours.
The airline added that over the last two weeks alone, from 26 May to 9 June, over 270 passengers travelling from Faro, Lisbon or Porto airports have missed their flights.
It blames this on border control delays due to a lack of staff. The airline has called on the government to adequately staff border control, especially during the peak morning period.
Ryanair's COO, Neal McMahon said said that the staff shortages are 'unacceptable'.
'Over 270 passengers have missed their flights just because the airport operator, ANA, has not ensured that adequate staff are in place to manage border control at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto Airports – some of Portugal's main airports,' he added.
'This is not good enough, and the problem will only worsen as we go further into the summer season and traffic numbers increase.'
Mr McMahon said that Ryanair calls on the new government 'to urgently intervene' so that 'Portuguese families will not be forced to suffer 2.5-hour-long queues just to get away on their well-deserved holidays.'
Ryanair's statement comes a week after Faro Airport announced it would roll out e-gate access for British arrivals.
Faro is a popular destination for Brits to visit, being the gateway to the Algarve region, dotted with golf courses and long, sandy beaches backed by dramatic cliffs.
The UK government expects that British holidaymakers in their 'millions' will be able to use e-gate technology this summer.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer struck the deal last month. He said that 'for holidaymakers wanting to get out this summer, they will want to know that they can do so easily and without delay and chaos'.
However, British passengers at Faro Airport say they are still caught up in long queues of nearly half an hour at border control.
Francisco Vieira Pita, director of ANAl, told local media last month that border control authorities are in the process of updating the Internal Security System (SSI).
'That upgrade is, in fact, causing longer wait times in some cases. ANA is working closely with the relevant authorities to minimise the impact on passengers' experience,' he said.
According to local press, Portugal's PSP police force announced it would be deploying 500 new officers to boost border control in Portuguese airports by July, hoping to fix the issue amid the summer tourist boom.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Metro

2 hours ago

• Metro

British man 'devastated' after being kicked out of Dubai for face tattoos

A British man's dream holiday to Dubai was ruined after he was refused entry because of his tattoos. Jordan Howman, 34, landed at Dubai International Airport for a week-long getaway with his fiancée Theresa, 38, and daughter Kaic, 16. Jordan, from Crewe, had forked out £3,000 for his third trip to the United Arab Emirates, his 'favourite country in the world.' But on arrival, he was pulled over by customs officers, before being refused entry after a six-hour wait due to his face tattoos. Jordan got the markings on his face around eight or nine years ago alongside words like 'blessed', 'family' and 'crazy life' and said it has never caused problems during his previous two visits to Dubai. He said: 'It has absolutely devastated me. I feel like I've been massively discriminated against. 'My missus has been crying her eyes out.' 'There's no law against face tattoos – there's nothing like that. The plasterer said the experience had made him feel 'absolutely rubbish' and had put him off travelling to Dubai again. He added: 'It was my favourite country, but this has absolutely ruined it. Now I'll never go again. I've lost all of my money because of a pattern on my face.' The UAE has become one of the go-to destinations for wealthy British expats and holidaymakers alike. But the state's socially conservative policies can cause problems for visiting foreigners. Britons have previously faced arrest for public displays of affection, including kissing. The UAE also has a zero tolerance for drugs, with passengers found with even residual amounts of illegal substances facing a prison sentence. Jordan's Emirates airline touched down at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, June 111, at 7.30am. 'It was my third trip to Dubai,' he said. 'I'd had no problems all the other times. But this time, as we got in, I scanned my passport and was just about to go through security when an airport worker pulled us aside. 'We were about to put our hand luggage on the conveyor belt when the man said: 'Follow me'.' After taking Jordan aside, the man asked if he'd had his passport stamped before taking it from him. 'Then he snatched my passport out of my hand,' he said. 'There had been nowhere to stamp it – we'd used the electronic gates. It was just an excuse to get the passport out of my hand.' After being held in a waiting room for over four hours, Jordan was transferred to immigration at around 12pm, he said. By this time, his family had reached the five-star Anantara hotel. He called his partner and she got a taxi to the airport but he says 'they wouldn't let me see her' and she got a taxi back to the hotel, costing a total of £250. Jordan said he was not given his passport back for some time which was 'terrifying'. 'A woman came and took me upstairs to immigration, where they said: 'He's not coming in because of his face tattoos – you're not coming in because of the way you look',' he said. 'One of the staff behind the desk said a more senior immigration officer made the decision, saying I was not to enter Dubai and that I must leave the country immediately.' More Trending At 2.30pm, Jordan was put on another Emirates flight heading back to the UK. 'They sent me on a flight back to Manchester. It was only when I landed that I got my passport back. Friday morning was the first time I got to see my daughter, over Facetime', he said. Metro approached Dubai Airports for a comment and an attempt was made to contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigh Affairs Dubai. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now? Latest Foreign Office tourist advice after US strikes Iran MORE: Florida attorney general offers Trump 'Alligator Alcatraz' prison to hold immigrants MORE: Why I keep going back to the world's 'most overrated' city

Scottish Sun

3 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

High street giant launches 20% off ‘everything must go' sale ahead of store shutting for good in just weeks

No reason has been given to customers for the abrupt closure SHUTTERS DOWN High street giant launches 20% off 'everything must go' sale ahead of store shutting for good in just weeks Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HUGE high street giant has launched a mega sale with just weeks left until the store shuts up shop for good. Locals have been left disappointed as the popular retailer is due to close down in just a matter of weeks, it has announced. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The popular video game retailer will shut up shop in just a few weeks Credit: Getty The GAME shop in Victoria Centre, Nottingham, will close its doors next month. The video game retailer has put up clearance signs in the windows announcing that all stock must go before it winds down. The store has operated at Victoria Centre for a number of years but will cease trading on July 17, according to the shop window signs. The notice also says that all stocks must go with 20% of most items. But video game fans shouldn't panic just yet as there is a House of Fraser opposite the store which has a GAME section and is under the same ownership. The Frasers Group acquired GAME in 2019 as part of a £52 million deal. GAME sells a variety of video games, consoles and pop culture merchandise. But the closure comes as the retailer has shut a number of its locations across the UK in recent months. Some have been converted into concessions within Sports Direct and other Frasers Group stores. Following Frasers Group acquiring GAME in 2019, significant restructuring and downsizing of the video game retailer has commenced. While plans don't indicate that the stores will disappear from the British high street completely many locations are expected to close. GAME, in Festival Place, Basingstoke, will be holding a 20 per cent off everything closing down sale before shutting up shop for good on August 10. As with the Nottingham branch, no reason has been given for the retailers abrupt departure from the shopping centre. But elsewhere in the Victoria Centre, other outlets have recently undergone significant refurbishments. Why are so many shops going bust? The HMV store opened a new store in April after a new revamp. What's happening to GAME? Game was acquired by billionaire businessman Mike Ashley's Frasers Group in 2019 as part of a £52million deal. However, by January 2020, the retailer announced plans to close 40 of its more than 300 stores across the UK. Today, there are approximately 240 Game stores operating nationwide. This decline comes amid a significant drop in sales of physical video games, compared to Game's heyday in the early 2000s. The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) revealed that in 2022, nearly 90 per cent of all video games sold in the UK were digital downloads.

Daily Record

3 hours ago

• Daily Record

Motorists warned of 5 new driving scams costing Brits thousands

Fraudsters are using 5 new tactics to trick drivers out of money. Motorists are being warned to be aware of new scams targeting British drivers. Fraudsters are costing motorists thousands of pounds with five new key tactics. From tampered QR codes on parking meters to convincing fake DVLA messages - drivers are being urged stay vigilant or risk losing their hard-earned cash. In 2024, scam reports to the DVLA soared to nearly 20,000, prompting motoring experts at LeaseLoco to make drivers aware of how to spot suspicious activity and avoid being caught out. ‌ While younger drivers aged 25-34 are the most common victims of vehicle-related scams like used car fraud and bogus insurance deals, older motorists are increasingly being targeted too - with fraudsters preying on their uncertainty around online payments to issue fake parking fines. ‌ John Wilmot, CEO of car lease comparison website LeaseLoco, said: 'Unfortunately driving-related scams are really common and they work well for fraudsters because they can create a sense of urgency. 'A lot of these scams will urge you to quickly pay a fee to avoid facing bigger fines. When we see something like this we often rush to get the payment done rather than stopping and checking the legitimacy of the message or letter. 'The good news is there are ways to spot these scams which can prevent you from losing any money. 2025 scams driver should to be aware of QR codes on parking meters ‌ Scammers are placing QR code stickers onto parking meters in the hopes of tricking motorists to scan the QR code and 'pay' for their parking. To avoid being caught out, stick to using official car parking apps such as RingGo and PayByPhone. It's also worth noting that most councils won't use QR codes for payment, but will instead tend to provide a machine or stick to apps. DVLA messages Fake DVLA messages often state that your license needs updating or that your car tax has failed, forcing you to hand over sensitive information. It's important to remember that the DVLA will never ask for money or personal information via email or text. Never click on any links within these messages and only access the DVLA website through ‌ 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. PCN fines Scammers may send fake parking charge notices to your house by post, urging you to pay a fake parking charge before the fine increases. A real PCN notice will have the date, time and location of your alleged violation. If you're still unsure whether your letter is real or not you can contact the council's parking department to check if the fine is genuine. ‌ Used car sales Be wary of any car deals that look too good to be true on online marketplaces. In 2023, nearly half a million pounds was reported as lost to Facebook car scams. Scammers will often post a fake ad for a car at a very low price and ask people interested for an upfront payment via bank transfer. They avoid having anyone come and see the car in person by claiming to be abroad too. When purchasing a used car, never make a payment before seeing the car in person and check the vehicle history on the government website. Toll or congestion charge messages Drivers can receive messages claiming they owe money for crossing a toll or congestion zone followed by a 'pay now' link. Before opening any links, remember that any genuine toll notifications will come from or other verified operators such as TfL, M6 Toll and Dart Charge for Dartford Crossing.