This summer, a staffing crunch at major European hubs is shaping travel dynamics. Gatwick Airport in London and Schiphol in Amsterdam both announced, on Friday, that high passenger demand would lead to reduced flight schedules in the peak season due to ongoing staff shortages, according to statements from airport authorities and airline partners. Gatwick has already begun easing into higher capacity, starting with around 825 daily flights in July and aiming for about 850 daily flights in August, with officials stressing the goal of delivering a more reliable and higher-quality passenger experience. Schiphol indicated that daily departures vary seasonally, peaking at roughly 67,500 passengers in July and up to 72,500 on the busiest days in August. These adjustments reflect a broader operational challenge affecting several European gateways as the summer travel wave intensifies.
Across Spain, the situation mirrors the broader pressures facing air travel. Industry groups and travel associations have called for streamlined passenger processing to curb congestion. A spokesperson for the Airline Association urged a more efficient handling of passport controls at airports, noting that current measures risk choking throughput and leaving travelers waiting unnecessarily. The government has announced temporary supplements, but concerns remain that these will be insufficient to support the tourism sector through the season. The Association of Institutional Specialized Travel Agencies has pressed for urgent action by the Ministry of the Interior, warning that a plan calling for 500 additional border-control personnel this summer might still fall short of preventing overstays and gridlock at key entry points. (Attribution: Industry bodies monitor border- and airport-staff levels across major hubs.)
Long queues appeared at Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat on some days, with reports of several-hour waits during peak periods. Terminal 1 at Madrid and some peripheral entry points at Barcelona have faced delays, particularly when certain entry corridors or automated systems encountered bottlenecks. (Attribution: National airport authorities) News outlets observed that the challenge of bottlenecks at passport checks amplified passenger frustration as crowds stretched through security and boarding zones. This pattern has been mirrored at other prominent Spanish airports as staff levels and processing capacity attempt to keep pace with demand. (Attribution: Tourism and transport watchdogs)
The national Tourism Board has criticized the way the situation is being managed at several airports, noting that longer lines and intermittent contact losses with travel providers amplify the sense of disruption for travelers. Airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife Sur, Malaga, and Valencia have faced scrutiny for chronic wait times and limited police presence at passport-control points. (Attribution: Tourism stakeholders)
Industry analyses suggest that the passport-control backlog at Barajas T4, in particular, had a measurable impact on passenger flow, with estimates indicating thousands of travelers affected over a few months in the first half of the year. (Attribution: Airline and airport performance reports) The confluence of border-control staff shortages and the broader labor gaps within airline and airport operations has produced a summer scene characterized by longer queues, increased chances of delays, and a higher likelihood of last-minute cancellations. (Attribution: Sector-wide performance summaries)
Despite these headwinds, airport leaders emphasize that most operations will continue to run through the season. Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick Airport, stated that the majority of flights would operate normally during the summer and that the measures in place would allow passengers to experience a more reliable and higher level of service. Dick Benschop, chief executive of Schiphol, acknowledged that while progress is possible on several fronts, not every objective can be achieved. He underscored that the measures are intended to ensure that the vast majority of travelers can journey safely and reliably from Schiphol. (Attribution: airport leadership statements)