Portuguese airports remain under pressure due to long queues at border control, with passengers reporting hours of waiting and missed flights. The problem is associated with the implementation of the European Entry and Exit System, known as EES, and the operational and structural limitations of national airports.
The situation gained greater visibility after CNN’s international correspondent published a video on social media showing hundreds of passengers in a long queue at Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon. The journalist described the scenario as “chaos” and related the delay to the reading of biometric data from passengers with passports from countries outside the European Union.
European system increases pressure
EES is a computer system created to electronically record the entry and exit of third-country citizens into the Schengen area. In practice, it replaces manual stamps in passports with digital and biometric records.
In Portugal, the system came into operation in October 2025, as in other countries in the Schengen area. Since then, waiting times at border controls have worsened, especially at Lisbon airport, where some passengers have to wait several hours.
The European Commission rejects that the queues are caused solely by the EES and points out the problem as internal to Portugal. The Portuguese Government, in turn, has argued that difficulties in border control affect airports in several European countries.
Brussels detected serious flaws
In December, the European Commission carried out a surprise inspection of Portugal’s air and sea borders. The final report identified “serious deficiencies” in border control, with emphasis on Humberto Delgado airport.
Among the problems highlighted were failures related to human resources, lack of equipment and simplification of safety procedures. Following these warnings, the Government temporarily suspended the application of the EES for three months, when the system was still in a phase of gradual implementation.
Despite the initial exchange of responsibilities between Lisbon and Brussels, the Government ended up recognizing the seriousness of the situation. The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, classified waiting times of more than two hours as an “embarrassment” for Portugal.
Reinforcement of resources at airports
To try to alleviate the pressure, immediate measures were announced at Lisbon airport. Among them are the expansion of the border control zone, the reinforcement of 48 PSP agents and the installation of more document control posts.
More e-gates, so-called electronic gates, were also announced, both at arrivals and departures. The aim is to speed up passenger processing and prevent queues from lasting during the peak summer season.
From July 4th, Portuguese airports must have an additional 340 PSP agents with specific training. According to the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, Lisbon will receive 140 agents, Porto 100 and the rest will be distributed across Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada.
Tourism fears impact on the country’s image
The tourism sector warns of serious consequences for Portugal’s image. Miguel Quintas, president of the National Association of Travel Agencies, told Euronews that the problem has an impact in the short, medium and long term.
The official remembers that the airport is often the tourist’s first contact with the country. When this experience begins with queues lasting two or three hours, the perception of the destination can be marked negatively.
The situation becomes even more sensitive because passengers record videos, take photos and share the images on social media. This content can go viral and undermine years of investment in promoting Portugal as a tourist destination.
Lisbon continues to be the most critical point
Airlines also acknowledge recent improvements but remain concerned. António Moura Portugal, general director of the Association of Airlines in Portugal, argues that the essential thing is to guarantee fluidity, predictability and reasonableness in border control.
According to the person responsible, the problem is not in the concept of the EES, but in the way it is being implemented. The European system can bring benefits in terms of security, combating document fraud and controlling irregular stays, but its application has created strong operational restrictions.
Lisbon is the most delicate case because the airport was already working at its limit. The infrastructure, considered out of date given current demands, has difficulty meeting the volume of passengers and new technological demands.
Experts point out planning flaws
Pedro Castro, founder of SkyExpert and aviation consultant, believes that the problem results from a combination of technical and operational factors. In his analysis, there were planning failures in the preparation and implementation of the new system.
Among the problems cited are equipment that does not work as expected, software failures, poorly tuned processes and a lack of staff sized for demand. For the expert, the complexity of the EES could have been mitigated with more effective preparation.
Despite the measures already announced, doubts remain about the response during the peak of summer. If the queues continue, international tour operators will be able to direct visitors to competing destinations, increasing the risk of Portugal losing competitiveness in the sector that most depends on a good image among travelers.
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