Ryanair petitions authorities to alleviate the commotion at Lisbon Airport
During the peak summer travel season of 2025, passengers arriving in Portugal via Lisbon Airport have been facing significant delays at passport control, with reports of delays of up to 1.5 hours due to a staff shortage in border services [2].
Ryanair, one of the major airlines operating in Portugal, has been vocal about the issue, urging the Portuguese government to take immediate action to deploy more immigration staff to avoid further delays and protect Portugal’s tourism reputation [2]. Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s COO, emphasised that passengers are currently forced to wait more than 1.5 hours at passport control due to the continued staff shortage at Lisbon Airport [3].
McMahon further stated that Portugal, during the peak summer season, should be welcoming visitors, not subjecting them to chaos and long lines at immigration checkpoints [3]. He also called on the Portuguese government to urgently deploy more staff to Lisbon Airport to avoid further delays [2].
Meanwhile, the Portuguese government has not announced specific new measures to immediately increase staffing at immigration checkpoints during this peak season [4]. The ongoing airport worker strikes across Portugal in July and August 2025, affecting ground handling and possibly compounding operational disruptions, have not been indicated to be directly addressed by the government via staffing reinforcements at border control [4].
The lack of sufficient staff presence at border controls during peak periods is a cause for concern, with McMahon stating that without immediate intervention, further delays will continue to occur at Lisbon Airport [3]. This situation may continue to undermine passenger confidence and potentially negatively impact Portugal's reputation as a reliable tourist destination [1].
It is worth noting that Portugal is undergoing broader immigration policy reforms in 2025 to handle increasing foreign resident numbers, but these reforms target residency rules rather than frontline staffing at airports [1][3]. Planned strikes by airport workers, mainly ground handling staff, are expected to further impact airport operations during the summer peak travel season [4].
As of the latest reports from July 2025, there is no public indication of concrete new measures taken specifically to increase immigration checkpoint staffing at Lisbon Airport during the summer peak [2][4]. If new government actions emerge after these reports, they might focus on deploying more staff or improving scheduling to handle seasonal passenger volume, but no such updates are currently documented in the available sources.
- The ongoing staff shortage at Lisbon Airport in Portugal, as highlighted by Ryanair's COO, Neal McMahon, is causing significant delays at passport control, potentially lasting up to 1.5 hours during the peak summer travel season.
- McMahon claims that the Portuguese government needs to urgently deploy more staff to Lisbon Airport to prevent further delays, protect the country's tourism reputation, and ensure a smooth lifestyle experience for travelers.
- Observers suggest that continued delays at Lisbon Airport during the peak travel season may undermine passenger confidence in Portugal as a reliable tourist destination, affecting its general-news reputation and business opportunities.
- While immigration policy reforms are underway in Portugal to handle increasing foreign resident numbers, no specific new measures have been announced to immediately increase staffing at immigration checkpoints during the peak summer season, despite airport worker strikes and their potential impacts on airport operations.
