Tenerife Airport: EU Entry System Speeds Passports, Delays Luggage
The new EU Entry/Exit System at Tenerife South Airport is accelerating passport control for non-EU travellers, but its efficiency is creating new baggage claim delays and highlighting challenges with outdated infrastructure and staffing.
The new European Union Entry/Exit System (EES), launched on November 6, is already making a difference at Tenerife South Airport. It's especially helping to speed up passport control for arriving passengers.
This system uses fingerprints and facial scans (biometric data) to automatically identify non-EU travellers. While it's still having a few technical glitches, like gates not opening properly, it's already making border checks more efficient. The Government Delegation says the system will be fully in place by April 2026.
One immediate benefit is that people are getting through passport control much quicker. Javier Cabrera, president of the Circle of Businessmen of Southern Tenerife (CEST), put it simply: "The passport area is cleared much faster."
However, this speed-up has created a new problem: baggage claim. The airport's current setup can't handle the faster flow of arriving passengers, so slow luggage delivery is now causing delays for people leaving the airport. This is happening in an area that has had long-standing structural issues.
To cope with these changes, the National Police have added more staff. Four officers are now working each shift at the biometric control points to keep things moving smoothly.
Despite this, a worker in the departures area told DIARIO DE AVISOS that "staffing problems continue and at certain times the lack of personnel is noticeable." This suggests the airport's staff are still under a lot of pressure.
The system's early days weren't smooth. On November 10, a system breakdown caused passenger delays, showing how complex the new technology is to set up. That issue was fixed, and since then, operations have been "relatively stable."
Cabrera believes that AENA (the airport operator) "is working in the right direction," but he stresses that these improvements are happening within an "outdated infrastructure." He also pointed out that the airport is part of the DORA III 2027-2031 plans, which include a major renovation to update the facilities for current and future passenger numbers.