Holidaymakers are being advised to prepare for possible lengthy airport hold-ups arriving in Spain amid the latest travel crackdown on UK passport-holders. The latest warning follows guidelines issued by the UK Foreign Office which said the popular holiday destination was toughening entry restrictions for 'third-country' visitors, including Britons.
Tourists arriving at popular holiday airports such as Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Alicante have already reported long queues during peak periods because of a shortage of border control staff and passports having to be stamped because of Brexit.
Now officials have appealed to holidaymakers to show patience amid any hold-ups during the current wave of strikes and new rules implemented for arrivals from the UK.
Spanish authorities had agreed to let British holidaymakers use e-Gates at the busiest airports at peak times to reduce queues during the peak season. These included Alicante, Barcelona, Bilbao, Girona, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Menorca, Valencia, Fuerteventura, Seville and Tenerife Sur.
But National Police officers, that control borders at Spanish airports, have insisted they must still manually stamp travel documents - even if e-Gates are used. The controversial U-turn comes as new rules are announced stating tourists may have to present more paperwork at the border in Spain.
This includes proof of a return flight, enough money for their trip and proof of accommodation for their stay. Spain, like other European countries, has also been hit by strikes and airport staff shortages which have forced airlines to cancel and delay flights, causing chaos for thousands of tourists.
Spain-based cabin crew for no-frills carrier Ryanair have been involved in a dispute over pay and conditions which could mean more disruption for travellers. However it said it expected “minimal” disruption to its flight schedules for the rest of this month.
Elena Cabrera, Ryanair country manager for Spain and Portugal, urged tourists to show “patience” amid the disruption. She told Diario de Avisos newspaper: “I think that this summer we will have to be very patient and get used to delays. But this cannot cloud the desire to travel. It is a general problem in all airports and it is not going to be solved overnight.
“Whether due to strikes, such as ours or (air traffic) controllers in France, or due to the lack of staff at some airports, we have to be aware that there will be delays. But, I insist, this cannot prevent the desire to travel because the sector has to reactivate.”
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