Portugal has restored the EU border control system. Are passengers waiting in queues again?
2026-04-05 10:00
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2026-04-05 10:00
The Portuguese government has restored the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) border control system, which was suspended at the end of December due to frequent operational paralysis at the Lisbon airport, the capital's CM Radio reported on Monday.
The radio station recalled that although the implementation of EES led to long queues of passengers and delays in departures at all Portuguese airports, it was most noticeable at the capital airport, where “it was necessary to prepare the infrastructure.”
Frequent delays of up to several hours in checking in passengers from outside the EU since October have had an impact on the operation of the entire Lisbon airport.
Four-hour airport check-ins? Ryanair boss: You voted for Brexit, then f^#$^ stand in line
If you want to leave the European Union, you can do it – this is the diagnosis of long queues at passport control presented by Michael O'Leary. The head of Ryanair himself has admitted many times that he voted against Brexit in the referendum, which he considers to be a mistake.
The Portuguese Aviation Companies Association (RENA) claims that Lisbon Airport Humberto Delgado was not prepared for this in October, when the implementation of the new border control system began. It noted that this mechanism did not work properly despite the Ministry of Interior gradually increasing the number of security officers at the capital airport.
The EES system concerns border management, enabling the registration of citizens of non-EU countries going for a short stay within its territory. Since October 12, they have been registered every time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries. The implementation of the new system, according to the original assumptions, was supposed to take 6 months.
From Lisbon Marcin Zatyka (PAP)
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