The Interior Ministry in Spain has announced a plan to reinforce the police presence at major airports before Holy Week and during the busy spring travel period. Airlines have warned about possible bottlenecks and longer wait times at passport control at several key hubs as holiday traffic rises.
The National Police will deploy 151 additional officers daily to manage passport controls, increasing overall staffing to as many as 426 officers per day across six airports with the highest international passenger volumes. Officials from the Interior Ministry confirmed this expansion to EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA, a publication of the Prensa Ibérica group.
The General Commissioner for Immigration and Borders, along with border posts at local airports, will coordinate this surge in border control duties, extending extraordinary service to six major air gateways as part of a broader security and flow management effort.
The regular police presence at Madrid–Barajas Airport is set to rise by about 67 percent, with a similar increase in Barcelona–El Prat and Malaga, where staffing will grow significantly. Alicante and Palma de Mallorca will see substantial boosts, while southern Tenerife airports are projected to experience almost 80 percent more agents during Holy Week.
airline complaints
In recent weeks, airline operators have reported queues at passport control, especially at Madrid Barajas, the largest hub in the Aena network. This issue, which tended to appear during peak travel seasons in the past, is now anticipated to recur as passenger numbers rebound post-pandemic and pre-summer traffic climbs, according to industry observers.
The Airlines Association (ALA), representing around 60 carriers operating in Spain, has pointed to a shortage of staff at Madrid airport to check non‑EU passengers and has highlighted concerns about other major cities where carriers concentrate their operations.
Two weeks ago, some carriers criticized what they called a repeated miscommunication with the Interior Ministry over peak-season staffing. They argued that the Barajas terminal should maintain a permanent increase in police coverage to ensure smooth passenger processing. The department, led by Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, maintains that it has not received reports of passenger delays linked to its operations in recent weeks and that any ongoing disruptions are tied to pending or missed connections at Barajas.
Within a two-week period, more than 4,500 travelers reportedly missed connecting flights at Barajas Terminal 4, the busiest terminal where companies such as Iberia and Vueling operate. Airlines have continued to urge the government to assign additional officers to assist in document verification to support the passport control process.
peace of Aena
Aena, the airport operator and the state’s principal shareholder with a controlling stake, sought to reassure travelers about possible queues during Easter and the upcoming summer holidays. Chief Executive Maurice Lucena spoke calmly, stating that both Aena and the Police are prepared to manage passenger flow effectively. He noted that media attention on annual peak periods is common, yet insisted that the police deployment is sufficient to handle the expected surge in travelers.
Lucena also emphasized that no passenger reports have indicated missed flights due to long waits at passport control in recent weeks. He attributed any seasonal friction to the usual annual patterns and reiterated that the authorities will deploy whatever resources are necessary to maintain steady operations and on-time performance. In his view, collaboration with the police is key to preventing delays and keeping travelers moving through major hubs without disruption.
Overall, the message from Aena is one of readiness and coordination. The company underscored its role in supporting a seamless travel experience while acknowledging the pressures of peak travel times. The partnership with security authorities aims to minimize bottlenecks at key checkpoints and to ensure passengers reach their destinations with minimal interruption, even during the busiest travel windows.