Lisbon airport queues hit shops but not tourist demand
Long waits at Lisbon airport’s border control are hurting retail and food sales, even as many tourists say they would still choose Portugal for holidays.
Long queues at border control at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado airport are continuing to disrupt passenger flows and are now hitting airport retailers, in a sign of how tighter entry checks are affecting Portugal’s main international gateway.
ECO found recurring waits of more than one hour, with some passengers in recent months facing delays of more than two or three hours on arrival and departure. Shop and café workers told ECO that the problem has become more frequent since the Entry/Exit System began to be applied to travellers from outside the Schengen area, first on a phased basis from last October and then on a mandatory basis from April 10. The system adds biometric data collection to passport checks.
Airport staff said passengers are increasingly arriving five or six hours early and often head straight to the queue instead of stopping to eat or shop. Workers in food outlets and premium stores said customers fear missing flights and rarely leave the line to make purchases, while some retailers on the arrivals side said passengers enter stores briefly without buying anything.
Conditions appeared to improve on Tuesday after changes at the airport, including an extra 1,200 square metres for border control, more manual inspection booths and more e-gates. The Interior Ministry said arrivals e-gates will rise from 18 to 28 by June 19 and then to 32 by the end of July, while more PSP police officers will be assigned to border control at Portuguese airports.
Despite the delays, tourists interviewed by ECO said the queues would not stop them from visiting Portugal. That matters for a country where tourism is a key economic sector, although the real test for the reinforced border operation will come during the busier summer travel period still ahead.
Originally published at Eco.pt
