The current state of Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport requires increased human resources and an enhancement of on-ground capacity, especially concerning the work conditions for police personnel, emphasized the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Miguel Pinto Luz, during a parliamentary hearing on the 2026 State Budget proposal (OE2026).
Pinto Luz responded to inquiries from the PSD regarding border control issues at Lisbon Airport, acknowledging the presence of lengthy queues and the potential ‘reputational damage’ to the country.
The minister highlighted that the ‘problem lies with human resources’ and recalled a joint order already drafted in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Administration and the National Command of the PSP to establish a permanent flow management team.
He stressed the necessity of ‘decent working conditions to create the ideal solution for Humberto Delgado Airport’ and expressed confidence that the situation would normalize ‘in the coming months.’
Concerns from tourism associations and airlines have been voiced regarding the queues at Lisbon Airport, attributed to the introduction of the new European Entry/Exit System (EES). The Portuguese Hospitality Association (AHP) mentioned the possibility of a ‘collapse.’
The initial phase of the automated external border control system (Entry/Exit System [EES]) began on October 12, without the biometric data collection of all non-Schengen travelers, scheduled to start by the end of November.
