The beginning of the summer at Algarve brought more sun, beach and tourists…, but also a scenario of frustration in arriving at Faro International Airport. In recent months, impressive automatic passport reading machines, ordered to optimize border flow, remain wrapped and leaning against, while passengers accumulate in queues that extend beyond the terminal.
Reliable sources and testimonies collected on social networks and media point to persistent failures in the new electronic border control system, which, according to PSP itself, “could, in the first phase, increase waiting times.” In practice, this translated into waiting that, on busy days, they exceeded three hours, especially for those arriving from countries outside the Schengen space – such as the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada.
APAL – Albufeira Promotion Agency expressed “deep concern” with the delays and warned of the risk of compromising the Algarve reputation as a tourist destination. Even with operator Ana Aeroportos ensuring commitment to support passengers, the responsibility of the controls falls on the border police, whose response capacity is severely tested.
In a recent note, Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz assured that adding more “automatic servers and machines” would solve the problems in “two weeks”. However, after this period, e-gates are still disconnected and, contradictory, are described on social networks as “wrapped and leaning for months”, in an abandonment that aggravates the situation.
Ryanair, through its Cola Neal McMahon, classified the situation as “unacceptable” and revealed that between May 26 and June 9, more than 270 passengers in Portugal – including many in the Algarve – lost flights due to delays in border control. British Low-Cost requires urgent intervention, warning that the crisis can get worse with increasing summer traffic.
One of the worst in Europe
The international press, such as Telegraph, also highlighted cases in Faro waiting for up to three hours, pointing to the airport as one of the worst in Europe in this respect.
Given this scenario, what softens the effects is the natural luminosity of the summer Algarve and the genuine hospitality of the places. Even tired, many travelers recognize that “the sun and sympathy of the Algarve” continue to delight millions of visitors each year, being an unparalleled guard card for the region.
Still, the persistence of endless lines, with inoperative electronic passports, represents an embarrassment that tests the patience of tourists and can tarnish the effort to promote the region – whether by hotels, restaurants or local authorities. In particular, the promised solution guarantee continues to comply.
What to expect?
- : The e-gates were in warehouse and were scheduled for October, with accelerated readaptation since June.
- Strengthening of police teams: PSP has announced the reinforcement with 500 new agents until July, but it is not yet clear about the immediate impact.
- Possible end of queues? It is still premature. The electronic system remains inconsistent, and only with real tests in the middle of summer is it possible to realize the real gain of capacity in passport control.
The planning that failed
Faro Airport is currently a paradox: paralyzed state -of -the -art technology, lines retracted over time, and the urgency of correcting planning it has failed.
If the sun and welcoming spirit of the Algarve continues to soften the experience, it is up to the authorities to ensure that soon the smile of tourists is not conditioned by long hours waiting to enter a country that embraces them so much.
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