Ryanair has identified Tenerife South and Lanzarote airports as the worst in Europe for passport control delays, with queues lasting up to two hours during peak season. The budget airline blamed the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES) and staff shortages for the excessive waiting times.
The EES, which replaced manual passport stamping with a digital registration process for non-EU nationals, became fully mandatory on April 10 this year. The system requires travellers to provide facial images, fingerprints and passport details each time they enter or leave the Schengen Area.
Tenerife South was ranked first in a list of 11 airports most commonly associated with long queues at departure passport checks, according to consumer group Which?. Ryanair also reported delays of up to two hours at several Spanish airports, including Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Malaga and Alicante.
The disruption comes at the height of the Canary Islands' peak tourist season, when thousands of British holidaymakers arrive daily. Ryanair is advising passengers flying to or from affected airports to allow extra time for airport procedures and to prepare for longer waits at passport control.
