Airport chaos forced British families to ‘lift children onto their shoulders to stop them suffocating’ after hundreds of holidaymakers were trapped in an overcrowded passport control in Tenerife.
Officials called an emergency meeting after passengers raged at the ‘inhumane’ conditions that saw them packed together ‘like cattle’ as they waited in line on Monday.
The nightmare unfolded after several UK flights arrived in quick succession and caused severe delays.
More than 500 people were left waiting for over two hours in sweltering conditions, as just two passport control booths staffed by four officers attempted to process the entire crowd, according to Canarian Weekly.
Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, described the situation as ‘claustrophobic’ and ‘third world’.
She told local media that passengers were made to wait 45 minutes on the plane before being allowed to disembark to passport control, only to find the airport’s escalators out of service.
Airport chaos forced British families to ‘lift children onto their shoulders to stop them suffocating’ as they were trapped in an overcrowded passport control in Tenerife
Officials called an emergency meeting after passengers raged at the ‘inhumane’ conditions that saw them packed together ‘like cattle’ as they waited in line on Monday
The nightmare unfolded after several UK flights arrived in quick succession and caused severe delays
‘Families with babies and elderly passengers had to carry their children and luggage through a packed terminal.
‘Once inside, we couldn’t move our arms, we could barely breathe, and people were sweating. Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating,’ she said.
‘There were no toilets, and people were visibly distressed.’
Ms Torrecillas, who frequently travels to the UK, said the conditions were unacceptable, adding: ‘This was an inhumane wait.
‘These are people who’ve paid to enjoy a few days of sunshine, they shouldn’t be treated like cattle.’
She also raised concerns about the lack of medical support, claiming that airport staff told her similar scenes occur nearly every night – with passengers regularly fainting or experiencing serious health problems while waiting.
The President of Tenerife’s ruling council, Rosa Dávila, has called an emergency meeting following the incident, with chaos often ensuing during peak tourism periods.
Dávila called the situation ‘unacceptable’ but blamed it on the continued failure to provide sufficient staff for border checks ever since the UK left the European Union.
More than 500 people were left waiting for over two hours in sweltering conditions, as just two passport control booths staffed by four officers attempted to process the entire crowd, according to Canarian Weekly
Lourdes Torrecillas, a Tenerife resident returning from Bristol, described the situation as ‘claustrophobic’ and ‘third world’. Pictured: Tenerife South Airport
She added: ‘This is a structural issue. We can’t continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit.’
A major issue facing travellers on Monday was the inability of the airport’s automated checking systems to check children’s passports.
This lead to families having to queue with children and baggage for hours before they could being their holidays.
Dávila said she had written to mainland politicians, but received no satisfactory response.
‘There’s a serious lack of respect towards Tenerife. We’re managing essential services locally, but without state support, we’re being left to fail,’ she said.
Lope Afonso, Tenerife’s Tourism Minister, warned: ‘This is the first impression our visitors get. After hours on a plane, they’re met with long waits and no explanation. It’s not acceptable, and it’s hurting our brand as a quality tourist destination,’ he said.
‘Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven’t we?’
He also had a warning for summer travellers, if mainland politicians don’t take action, saying: ‘We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead.’
