Portugal To Deploy Over 300 More Police Officers At Airports This Summer To Curb Queues

Published on •Updated

Portugal will deploy a further 340 public security police (PSP) officers at national airports at the beginning of July to help streamline border control procedures.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Interior Minister Luís Neves announced the move on Friday.

"On 4 July, we will deploy another 340 people, PSP officers who are currently receiving specific training for work at the borders. Lisbon alone will get 140, 100 will go to Porto, and then others to Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada," the minister said, in comments reported by Portuguese television network SIC.

The measure comes in the wake of bottlenecks recently reported at border control in some Portuguese airports, with Lisbon particularly affected.

These incidents have been linked by the government to the rollout in Portugal of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), among other factors.

The new border controls register the biometric data of nationals of third countries and collect information on their entries into and exits from the Schengen area, in the case of short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

This comes despite an official source at the European Commission, in a response sent to the Lusa news agency, having denied that the queues are due to the entry into operation of this new system.

"The challenges faced in Portugal, including longer waiting times, are not related to any problems in the functioning of the Entry/Exit System," the European Commission insisted, adding that it remains "in contact with Portugal on this matter" and "will continue to provide the necessary support" in this regard.

However, the interior minister added on Friday that there have been fewer problems at Portuguese airports in recent days.

"It is important to look at how operations have gone in recent days. Saturday, for instance, may have been the day of the year when the most passengers used Portuguese airports," Neves said, adding that the situation "went very well".

At a time of typically heavy tourist flows, with the summer months approaching, the Portuguese government had already announced last week that, almost with immediate effect, a further 48 PSP officers would be deployed to Lisbon airport, particularly as it handles the largest share of the country’s air traffic.

RECENT NEWS

Flying Blue Flies High: These Are The Best Airline Rewards Programmes In Europe

Air France-KLM's Flying Blue was crowned the best frequent flyer scheme globally thanks to how easy it is to earn and sp... Read more

Europes Trending Travel Destinations For 2027 – Here's Where To Go According To The Experts

All the industry reports are in, so which destinations in Europe are going to be trending in 2027? We take a look at the... Read more

When Should You Leave For The Airport? This App Can Tell You Exactly When

Flighty will keep track of traffic conditions and public holidays that might affect your travel times, sending an alert ... Read more

India Has Just Been Named Destination Of The Year For 2027 – Heres Where To Go

Announced annually by Travel + Leisure since 2014, India follows in the footsteps of previous destinations of the year i... Read more

Ranked: The World's 10 Quietest Cities To Visit In 2027 – And All Are In Europe

Europe sweeps a new ranking of the world’s quietest cities, with Italian destinations featuring three times in the top... Read more

New Gateway To Antarctica: Worlds Southernmost Hotel Opens In Chile

Luxury cruise line Silversea has opened The Cormorant at 55 South – a 150-room hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, where ... Read more