The department of the interior has responded to Iberia concerns about airport delays stating that it has not received any complaints about queues in airport security or immigration channels.
They say that there is no risk of a breakdown due to the arrival of British holidaymakers, despite Brexit
However they have also said that they will reinforce Barajas controls with 200 extra police officers attributing the long queues to “specific issues”
The Madrid employers warn of the “devastating effect” that the Barajas queues have for the Spain holiday Brand
The Government rules out that there are problems with passport controls at airports. But at the same time, sources from the Ministry of the Interior have told the media that they will put 500 more police officers into the twelve largest Spanish airports to avoid problems. Reinforcements will be sent to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife Sur, Menora, Palma, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.
With these 500 additional officers, which will come from the new intake of the police, 189 will be assigned to the Madrid-Barajas airport, one of the sites that is having the most problems with it’s passport controls. Another 89 police officers will be assigned to El Prat.
These numbers may be increased even further during the summer with a mobile unit that can be moved to the airports suffering the most congestion.
Despite the additional officers, the ministry insists that the figures given by Iberia, which stated that between March and May 15,000 passengers lost their connecting flight due to the breakdown at police checkpoints, are false. They say that the Iberia statement has caused “surprise” in the department. “At certain times queues can occur, but it happens in all countries.
Interior also denies that Brexit is causing congestion at airports, despite the fact that this is the first year in which the British are deemed to be non-EU travelers and have to pass through more stringent controls.
“The British do not pose a migratory problem,” they emphasize from the Ministry. The Government already ensures that these travellers, who represent the largest market for the tourism sector, go through lighter checks than the rest of non-EU citizens.
