British tourists panic over ‘nightmare’ queues at ‘congested’ Mallorca airport

Apparent staffing issues at Palma de Mallorca Airport on the Balearic island, as well as post-Brexit passport requirements, have left people stranded in long queues

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Palma: Chaos as long queues form at the airport

Sunbathers have squeezed into large crowds at Mallorca Airport, heating tempers and making social distancing impossible.

Holidaymakers using Balearic Islands airport are voicing health concerns amid reports it still takes an hour to clear security checks with “congestion and crowds everywhere”.

The airport has also struggled at its passport gates as post-Brexit requirements have left Brits stuck in long queues to have their travel documents stamped.

Although many coronavirus restrictions have been lifted in Spain, the government still advises social distancing wherever possible, particularly at transport hubs.

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Annoyed tourists say this is impossible at Mallorca’s Palma airport, and they feel “very unsafe” to be so close to people when Covid is still around.

“There was no distance between people,” said one passenger.

Another passenger who was stuck in a long line after arriving from the UK last week warned of worse things to come in the summer months.

“It’s going to be a nightmare at the airport this summer if that’s the case,” he said.

The queues are attributed to understaffing at the airport.

Airport workers say there is a shortage of security guards because the contracts they are being offered are unattractive or part-time.

Holidaymakers have taken to social media to complain about the queues and the frustration of waiting so long to get through security.

They also express their fears of being so close for so long.

“Even if you go to the airport on time, you can find hundreds of people waiting without being able to advance,” said another passenger.

Problems were compounded by a number of airport buses and holiday buses arriving at the same time, flooding queues with weary travellers.

Javier Gandara, President of the Association of Airlines, has called for reinforcements at passport control to ease the problem during the summer months.

Much of this traffic consists of Brits flying out to join cruise ships in Palma.

“The tourism sector is key for the Spanish economy and for the post-pandemic recovery, so we consider the congestion at airport passport controls unsustainable,” Mr Gandara said.

“This problem directly affects passengers, but it also means an additional difficulty for the already complex operations of the airlines and has a negative impact on Spain’s international image.

“In fact, this problem of congestion at passport control is widely reported in the international media, which may discourage international travelers from coming to our holiday country. We can’t afford that.”

The airport has been contacted for comment.