Lisbon Airport border control system experiences computer failure, manual checks activated

On the morning of 19 May, a technical fault in the computer equipment used for border control at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport forced authorities to switch to a simplified, manual processing mode. The interruption caused notable passenger waiting times – about 32 minutes for departures and 36 minutes for arrivals at Lisbon, with similar delays reported at Faro and Porto – but the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) said the issue was resolved immediately and security standards were maintained.

The incident adds to a series of recent IT problems at the airport, which have been attributed to system glitches, ongoing construction, and high passenger volumes. The Portuguese government has announced upgrades, including additional manual control boxes, new e‑gates and increased PSP staffing from late May and July, as part of broader efforts to improve border processing and address pressures from the EU Entry/Exit System for non‑EU citizens.