Airport authorities across the world start planning for the summer travel season long before summer actually gets here. In an effort to keep operations running efficiently at the airport and reduce wait times in border control, Portugal has announced the addition of hundreds of additional police officers at airports across the country. While most travelling to Portugal this summer will probably not notice these additional officers, the addition of police personnel reflects a concern by travel officials about airport overcrowding and long wait times in border control areas during peak travel times. The ultimate goal is to allow all visitors to spend more of their vacation enjoying Portugal rather than standing in line waiting to get into Portugal.
The majority of the additional police officers will be assigned to Lisbon, which is Portugal’s busiest international airport and the primary entry point for international visitors to Portugal. Lisbon will receive 140 of the 337 total officers assigned by the Portuguese government. Additionally, Porto will receive 100 officers; with the remaining officers split among the airports in Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada.
In total there will be 340 additional officers assigned to Public Security Police. All of these officers must receive specialized training in both border operations and airport procedures before they can begin to fulfill their new duties.
The timing of this ramp-up of resources corresponds with Portugal’s busiest travel period, the summer, which sees millions of tourists travelling to enjoy the beaches, cities, small towns, food and weather that Portugal has to offer. With the surge in air passenger traffic, airports are severely tested by the increase.
Due to the long wait times at entry points to Portugal, especially in Lisbon, Authorities needed to intervene.
The EES is meant to help the EU better manage the arrivals and departures of people coming from/departing to countries outside the EU as well as to enhance border security and modernize immigration processes for all EU countries. The EES will achieve this by using biometrics in place of passport stamps to track who comes and goes from the Schengen Area along with when they came and left.
The European Commission has pushed back against European officials who claim that the introduction of the new system is to blame for the recent airport congestion. According to the European Commission, there are several components that contribute to high airport congestion during busy travel periods.
In spite of this, officials from Portugal have said there has been a significant improvement in the situation within the last few days.
Passenger traffic tends to peak on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays due to both leisure travelers who are visiting Portugal and local residents who are returning home from work. Therefore, effective management of passenger surges is critical to providing a positive travel experience.
Interestingly, prior to this most recent announcement, Portugal had already made plans to increase the number of airport employees that will be working at Lisbon International Airport. Under these plans, multiple additional officers would be deployed at Lisbon Airport as part of the broader strategy to manage growing numbers of passengers during the course of the summer months.
The increase in security at airports in Portugal in 2023 is a positive development for anyone who is planning to travel there this year. As more staff are trained, processing at the borders will take less time and be more efficient. Larger numbers of personnel will also be able to better manage crowds and keep waiting times during peak periods lower.
Portugal continues to be one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe, attracting millions of people every year with its great culture, rich history, amazing coastal scenery, and lively cities. The government has put a significant emphasis on providing smooth/safe operations at the airport in order to facilitate tourism growth, as it is projected to continue to increase.
With summer flights into Portugal projected to be strong this summer, the country thinks it will not experience major travel problems as the result of poor planning with today’s security program – meaning that you should have a faster and more pleasant beginning to your trip when you land in Portugal!
