The aviation authority ANA has firmly denied claims by ASPP that it is pressuring the government and the Public Security Police (PSP) to reduce border controls at Humberto Delgado Airport. An official from ANA Aeroportos de Portugal stated this in a communication to Lusa.
Ana emphasized that border control is solely the responsibility of the state and that the company has no influence over how it is conducted.
“Experiencing wait times exceeding two hours upon arrival, at times reaching four hours, ANA primarily expresses its grave concern for the passengers,” the statement noted, criticizing ASPP for not sharing this concern and showing indifference to such prolonged wait times.
On Saturday, the ASPP/PSP urged the government not to give in to alleged pressure from ANA Aeroportos to ease border control in Lisbon to reduce waiting times.
In a statement, the ASPP/PSP mentioned it is aware that ANA Aeroportos de Portugal is reportedly pressuring the Public Security Police and the government to ease border checks in Lisbon, clearly aiming to decrease wait times.
The PSP union described it as “incomprehensible and intolerable” for the government to yield to the interests of a private company “whose sole purpose is to increase its profits,” especially when the government has prioritized immigration control.
The ASPP/PSP stressed that it is “technically impossible” to ensure the required level of security and control mandated by the Schengen Agreement while simultaneously speeding up the flow of travelers at Lisbon Airport “without compromising the entire European community.”
The union warned that “the police on border duty are exhausted,” as there has never been such a high volume of passengers, and this trend continues to rise.
The ASPP/PSP asserted a lack of recognition and financial compensation for these officers and pledged to prevent a private operator from interfering with essential public services, particularly in safeguarding national and Schengen Area security.
In early June, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, stated that the issues with queues at Lisbon and Faro airports should be resolved within two weeks following the implementation of a new system.
These statements came after the successive release of images in previous weeks showing long lines of passengers from non-Schengen countries at Faro and Lisbon airports, who waited hours for immigration checks.
The Portuguese Hotel Association (AHP) and the Portuguese Tourism Confederation (CTP) expressed optimism for a positive summer to Lusa but raised concerns about potential problems at the airports.
