The Interior Ministry has announced a plan to expand police presence at Spain’s main airports to smoothly handle the upcoming busy travel period. The initiative follows recent holiday disruptions and ongoing tensions with several Spanish airlines, which have reported long queues, check-in delays, and slow passport processing at major hubs. The objective is to keep journeys efficient for travelers while maintaining thorough security during peak travel times.
Initial plans indicate the National Police will deploy 311 additional officers. Reports from a major Spanish daily note that leaders of passport control and other critical security divisions have introduced measures to prevent queues from spiraling at six airports with the highest international traffic during the peak season. Officials within the ministry describe this as part of a broader strategy to ensure security procedures keep pace with rising passenger volumes, without slowing down service or compromising safety.
The Commissioner-General for Immigration and Borders, along with local border stations, is coordinating targeted operations to strengthen officer presence at border checkpoints and provide exceptional staffing on high-demand days. The focus centers on the busiest airport hubs, aligning police coverage with major travel corridors and with the national airport network overseen by the airport authority. The aim is to deliver a smooth experience for travelers while upholding strict border control and passenger screening standards.
by airports
According to the Interior Ministry, 143 extra officers will be assigned to Madrid Barajas Adolfo Suárez, with 62 more at Palma de Mallorca, 49 at Alicante, 40 at Valencia, 10 at Malaga, and seven reinforcing Lanzarote. Alongside these reinforcements, the plan calls for permanent enhancements at these six airports over the summer, plus a temporary increase in officers on duty during peak days at Barcelona El Prat. The coordination between police and the airport authority aims to manage peak flows effectively while maintaining service quality for travelers and ensuring compliance with entry rules for non-Schengen passengers.
In recent years, peak travel periods such as summer and Easter have produced bottlenecks at passport controls. The national association representing sixty airlines operating in Spain has attributed some delays to staffing gaps at key airports during high-demand windows. Officials from the Interior Ministry and the airport operator have pushed back on these criticisms, stressing that the intensified police presence is designed to address the most critical congestion points and streamline passenger processing. Airlines have noted improvements in several sectors, but the ministry remains focused on consistent performance across all principal international gateways, especially on the days with the heaviest traffic. The collaborative approach between police authorities and airport operators aims to reduce waiting times while maintaining robust border security and efficient passenger flow across the country.