For anyone going on holiday to Portugal this year, you could be in for some lengthy airport delays.
Ryanair have critcisied border control in the country, saying that passengers are ‘suffering’ due to staff shortages.
The low-cost airline says families are experiencing delays of up to two and a half hours, and that from May 26 to June 9, over 270 Ryanair passengers travelling from Faro, Lisbon or Porto have missed flights.
Ryanair have slammed the Portuguese government saying the situation is ‘not good enough’ and that passengers are ‘unfairly missing their flights.’
The carrier also highlighted that delays and queues were more of an issue ‘during the peak morning period.’
In a statement, Ryanair COO, Neal McMahon said: ‘It is unacceptable that passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – are suffering border control delays… as a result of staff shortages… just because airport operator, ANA, has not ensured that adequate staff are in place to manage border control.
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‘This is not good enough, and the problem will only worsen as we go further into the summer season and traffic numbers increase.’
Neal urged the government to take action for those going on ‘well-deserved holidays’, saying: ‘Ryanair calls on the new Government to urgently intervene and fix these ongoing border control staff shortages.’
What are my rights if my flight is delayed in Portugal?
According to the Civil Aviation Authority, UK and EU airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled.
This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
To be covered, your flight must be either:
- departing from an airport in the UK (on any airline)
- arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline
- arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails and, if they offer you a play to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airliner.
But an airliner will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses. The hotel minibar or penthouse suites likely can’t be expensed.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. Though, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
Whether you’re eligible for this depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited. For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less) you must have been waiting for two hours or more. For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours) it’s three hours or more.
Alternative Portugal
If you still fancy a trip to Portugal, the land of beautiful beaches and pastel de nata, we’ve got you carried.
If you want a change from the likes of Lisbon or Porto, why not head to Braga, the lesser-known historical city, dubbed ‘the Rome of Portugal’.
Over on the west coast, you could try out Aveiro, which, with its picturesque canals, gondola-esque boats and stunning Art Nouveau architecture, has been compared to Venice.
And, if you love trying out new food on trips away, the town of Almancil, just a 20 minute drive from Faro, has been named as an emerging foodie destination by Airbnb.
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