Airline Ryanair urges swift action in addressing airport delays in Portugal
The peak summer travel season of 2025 has been marred by significant delays and disruptions at Portugal's major international airports, particularly Lisbon, Faro, and Porto. These delays are primarily attributed to a severe shortage of border control staff, resulting in wait times of up to 90 minutes for passengers[1][2].
Ryanair, one of the largest European airlines, has been vocal about the issue, urging the Portuguese government to take immediate action to address the staffing crisis and prevent further delays that could potentially damage passenger confidence and Portugal’s reputation as a tourist destination[1][2]. The airline has labelled the current situation as "completely unacceptable"[1].
The situation is further exacerbated by ongoing strike actions by ground-handling workers across major Portuguese airports, causing additional operational disruptions[3][4][5]. These strikes, stemming from disputes over wages, unpaid premiums, and working conditions following a takeover of Groundforce operations by Menzies Aviation, have led to delays in check-in, baggage handling, and aircraft servicing[3][4][5].
Despite Ryanair's public calls for action, there is no clear evidence of significant new staffing deployments or resolutions to the border control staffing requests by late July and August 2025[1][2]. The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, had announced in early June that the queue problems at Lisbon and Faro airports should be resolved within the next two weeks following the implementation of a new system[6].
The new system, expected to be implemented within the next two weeks, is a response to the continued delays and staffing issues at border control that have affected multiple airports in Portugal, including Porto, Faro, and Lisbon[6]. The success of the new system in resolving the queue problems at Lisbon and Faro airports remains to be seen.
Ryanair has reported that more than 120 passengers missed their flights from Porto, Faro, and Lisbon airports between July 11th and 13th due to excessive delays at border control[7]. The airline has also released images showing long lines of passengers from non-Schengen countries waiting for several hours at Faro and Lisbon airports for immigration control[7].
In response, Ryanair has called on the government led by Luís Montenegro to take immediate action to address the staffing issues, especially during the peak summer season, and to improve the travel experience for passengers[7]. The airline emphasizes the need for the Portuguese government to address the staffing issues at border control to ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience for passengers during the busy summer season.
References: 1. Ryanair calls for urgent action to ease Portuguese airport delays 2. Ryanair demands Portugal urgently deploys more border control staff to cope with peak passenger volumes 3. Portugal's airport strikes cause travel disruptions 4. Portuguese airport strikes to continue through July and August 5. Portuguese airport strikes cause delays and cancellations 6. Portugal to implement new system to address airport delays 7. Ryanair calls on Portuguese government to address border control staffing issues
- To address the mounting concerns, Ryanair suggests the Portuguese government should expedite the deployment of additional border control staff to prevent delays, as the current situation in major airports like Lisbon, Faro, and Porto is causing significant travel disruptions and potentially harming Portugal's reputation as a tourist destination.
- The ongoing strike actions by ground-handling workers and the severe shortage of border control staff at Portugal's major international airports are affecting the overall passenger lifestyle by causing delays in check-ins, baggage handling, and aircraft servicing, which may require immediate intervention during the peak summer travel season to ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience.
