BORDER CONTROL STAFF SHORTAGES DELAYING PASSENGERS UP TO 2.5 HOURS

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, today (Mon, 9 June) called on the newly formed Portuguese Govt to urgently fix the ongoing border control staff shortages at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto Airports, which are causing passengers – many of whom travelling with young families – to suffer unnecessary delays of up to 2.5 hours.

Over the last 2 weeks alone (26 May – 9 June), over 270 passengers travelling from either Faro, Lisbon, or Porto Airports missed their flight as a result of excessive border control delays due to staff shortages. This is completely unacceptable and the new Govt must take urgent action to adequately staff border control at Portuguese Airports, especially during the peak morning period, to prevent unnecessary delays and more passengers unfairly missing their flights.

Ryanair COO, Neal McMahon said;

“It is unacceptable that passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – are suffering border control delays of up to 2.5hrs at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto Airports as a result of staff shortages. Over the last 2 weeks alone, over 270 passengers have missed their flights just because 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. This is not good enough, and the problem will only worsen as we go further into the summer season and traffic numbers increase.

Ryanair calls on the new Govt to urgently intervene and fix these ongoing border control staff shortages at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto Airports, so that Portuguese families will not be forced to suffer 2.5 hour long queues just to get away on their well-deserved holidays.”