Ryanair blames staffing shortages for chaos at Portuguese airports
- Ryanair reported that Portuguese border control staffing shortages have led to significant delays at Faro, Lisbon, and Porto airports.
- Travelers, particularly families, have experienced wait times of up to two and a half hours, resulting in more than 270 missed flights over a two-week period.
- The airline has called for urgent government action to address these issues before the peak summer travel season worsens the situation.
In Portugal, Ryanair has highlighted significant issues at major airports such as Faro, Lisbon, and Porto, relating to border control delays caused by staffing shortages. The airline reported that from May 26 to June 9, 2025, around 270 passengers traveling through these airports missed their flights, primarily due to unnecessarily long waits at border control that reached up to two and a half hours. Passengers, particularly families, voiced frustration at the inconvenience, which Ryanair attributes to the airport operator, ANA, failing to provide adequate staffing during peak travel times. The current delays coincide with the beginning of the summer tourist season, which Ryanair fears will exacerbate the situation as more travelers arrive. Neal McMahon, Ryanair's COO, stated that the existing delays are