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

These Are The Best Airport Lounges In The World – And Four Are In Europe

The Plaza Premium Lounge at Rome Fiumicino Airport was named the best on the continent, and second best overall. Read more

80 Years And Still Steaming: A Milestone Year For The Worlds Last Seagoing Paddle Steamer

This October, the Waverley paddle steamer is marking its 80th anniversary with cruises along London’s iconic River Tha... Read more

Aman Set To Open First Hotel In The Maldives Complete With An Entire Island Dedicated To Wellness

Amanolu in the Vaavu Atoll will have just 52 keys as well as 16 private residences, which also have their own island. Read more

The Worlds Best Spas For 2026 Have Been Revealed – And Italy Leads The Way

Italy took centre stage at this year’s World Spa Awards after being named the world’s best spa destination. Italian ... Read more

Project Sunrise Update: Qantas To Launch Non-stop Flights Between Sydney And New York From 2028

Passengers will spend 18 hours in the air on the specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. Read more

AI And Ski To Cruises And Gen Z: Dnatas CEO On The Trends Driving Travel In The UAE And Beyond

From AI-powered travel offers to growing demand for ski holidays, cruises and food experiences, dnata’s new Group CEO ... Read more