24 new passport control machines have been installed at Tenerife South Airport
At Tenerife South Airport, 24 new biometric passport control systems have been installed to speed up the processing of passengers arriving from outside the Schengen area, especially after Brexit.
At Tenerife South Airport, 24 new passport control devices have been installed. According to representatives of the Canary Islands government, they will be operational "very soon."
These devices will help passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries to independently register using biometrics. This will allow them to reach the island and the country faster. Half of the devices are located near exit A, and the other half are near exit B.
The new equipment is expected to speed up passport control at the airport. This is especially important after Brexit (the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union) on January 1, 2021. The United Kingdom is one of the main tourist markets for Tenerife, and now Britons need to go through passport control upon entry.
Previously, there were often queues at passport control at the airport. The local hotel association Ashotel complained back in November that there were over 30 self-service machines in halls A and B, but they were not working. Authorities, businesses, and trade unions demanded that they be put into operation.
The queue problem even made it into British newspapers. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that the delays were a "temporary glitch" and blamed the airlines for it. He also added that the airport's police force was increased by 32 people last July. In addition, negotiations are underway with Aena (the airport management company) to avoid queues.
Queues at passport control have become more frequent in the last year. Local deputies say that they occur not only during peak season. June was particularly problematic, and on May 28 last year, more than 500 people waited for hours in the border control area because staff could not process documents from all the flights arriving simultaneously from non-EU countries.
The installation of 24 biometric recognition machines is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done. To solve the problem, the government, local authorities, Aena, and the police have agreed to meet regularly and discuss the situation. The first such meeting is scheduled to take place this month.