Portugal airlines urge EU flexibility to avoid summer airport queues

The Portuguese airline association RENA praised recent measures – additional staff, more e‑gates and the suspension of biometric data collection in exceptional cases – that have helped reduce long waiting times at Lisbon, Porto and Faro airports after the introduction of the EU Entry‑Exit System (EES). However, RENA’s executive director António Moura Portugal warned that a new wave of queues could return in July‑August, when tourist demand peaks. He called for Portugal to take an active role in Brussels to secure a mechanism that lets member states temporarily suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive, noting that the current six‑hour suspension limit ends in July. “Melhorámos, estamos bem no momento, mas agora isto não é para ficar a dizer ‘ok, está resolvido … porque ela virá’,” he said. Interior Minister Luís Neves expressed optimism about a smoother summer, but airlines stress further steps are needed to protect tourism, a key driver of Portugal’s GDP.