Canary Islands panic as Lanzarote tourists facing airport chaos

Tourists heading to the Canary Islands have been warned to expect huge queues at passport control.

Lanzarote airport currently has a shortage of passport control personnel and the Spanish government has been urged to place more National Police at the airport as a result.

The extra personnel have been requested due to concerns over operational delays.

There have been complaints of queues to get passports stamped, especially from British visitors who are required to have theirs stamped after leaving the EU.

An official statement has been made by the island’s governing body which reiterates the need for more officers to cope with the influx of tourists.

The President of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, said: "We cannot afford for visitors’ first impression of our island to be one of long queues and lack of attention due to lack of police staffing.

"It is crucial to enhance airport security services to uphold Lanzarote's reputation as a top-quality holiday destination.”

He described the situation as ‘unacceptable’, highlighting the long waits that residents and visitors endure due to the lack of staff at airport security. 

Many airlines have been blamed for the issue but the staffing errors in terms of border control are not airline responsibility.

One parent shared their experience of a 50 minute wait in a special assisstance queue on X, she said: "We were left with 15 minutes to get through security and to the boarding gate. Avoidable stress leading to inevitable meltdowns - not autism friendly".

Another visitor stated: "This is a shambles at Lanzarote airport. People are queuing at different desks as the boards say you can, but then they are finding out that they have to join again at the back of another long queue."