The Socialist Party (PS) has expressed deep concern over the operational situation at Portuguese airports, specifically highlighting Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport and Faro Airport.
The party criticized “severe constraints in border control” in these airports, leading to “long queues that negatively impact thousands of passengers and tarnish Portugal’s international image.”
“Unfortunately, the current state of the nation’s main airports is entirely counter to the modernity, efficiency, and hospitality image that the country has worked to establish over decades,” they commented, referencing public and private sector involvement, international promotion campaigns, and significant investments in the sector.
The PS parliamentary group pointed out that the government, led by Luís Montenegro, “has been in office for more than 16 months” and “has had more than enough time to plan the precise implementation of the new entry control system at airports.”
“It has failed to do so. Even after implementing the system, the government’s response has been marked by improvisation, delays, and inaction. The result is clear: long waits, outraged passengers, penalized tour operators, and a deeply damaged international perception,” they condemned.
The PS is demanding an explanation from Castro Almeida to the parliament, asking him to justify “the demonstrated inability to promptly address the constraints at the country’s main airports” and to identify the causes.
“What assessment does the government make of the impact of these severe operational constraints, particularly at the Lisbon and Faro airports, on tourism activity and, above all, on Portugal’s external image as a tourist destination? Is any monitoring being conducted with the affected emitting countries?” they inquired.
The socialists are calling for information on what measures are planned to “mitigate the damages caused to the country’s image” and to restore international tourist market confidence.
“What specific measures are planned or already underway to solve the operational problems at the Lisbon and Faro airports? And what is the government’s expected timeline for their complete resolution?” they want to know further.
The PS also highlighted in their inquiry that, on June 3, the Minister of Infrastructure “publicly announced that the problems would be resolved within two weeks,” noting that “more than a month later, reports of significant delays persist.”
