Tenerife South Airport: Passport Delays Mount as 85% of Machines Fail

Passport control at Tenerife South Airport is causing significant delays, with passengers waiting over an hour and a half in recent weeks. The queues have become so long they're even blocking access from the runway to the terminal building. A major reason for this is that many of the biometric passport machines are not working properly; only 15% of them are functioning as they should. Of the 36 new Entry/Exit System (EES) devices put in place last November to speed up the process, only five have operated without problems, often experiencing technical glitches like doors not opening or connection issues.

Javier Marín, Aena's executive vice-president, acknowledged the difficult situation at Tenerife South yesterday. He explained that the problems stem from the ongoing shift to a new European border control system. Speaking at a press conference about Aena's investment plans for the Canary Islands between 2026 and 2031, Marín noted that the European system itself has shortcomings and that the implementation process is only halfway complete, which is making the delays at passport control even worse.

Marín clarified that while Aena has installed all the necessary equipment in Spain, the core problems lie with how the system operates at a European level. He also mentioned that Spain's Ministry of Interior is in contact with European authorities. Aena, he added, cannot increase the number of National Police staff, who are responsible for managing passport controls. Marín expressed confidence that the situation will improve before next summer.

When asked about the possibility of a second runway at Tenerife South, Marín stated that the airport has plenty of capacity, having handled 15 million passengers last year. He argued that the region's strategy to attract higher-quality tourism means passenger numbers won't increase dramatically, ensuring the airport has enough capacity for a long time. As an example, he pointed to Luton Airport in the United Kingdom, which has government approval to handle 32 million passengers using only one runway.

Therefore, Aena is focusing its efforts on modernizing the terminal and improving the quality and safety of the airport's facilities, which Marín said need updating. The main strategy is to make the most of the existing airfield, as any major expansion would be very complicated due to environmental reasons. The executive vice-president stressed that Tenerife South has the potential to increase the number of flights it handles per hour through efficient airspace management.