Holidaymakers have been warned of ‘chaos’ at Tenerife airport as queues keep building up and people are left ‘stuck’ in passport control, with some Brits calling the situation ‘a joke’
UK holidaymakers are facing “chaotic” scenes at a Tenerife airport, sparking a flood of complaints from agitated travellers.
Brits have taken to social media to vent their frustration over massive queues at the Canary island’s hotspot, leading to travel turmoil.
Cueing up to voice their grievances, tourists dropped comments on TikTok, with one disgruntled passenger revealing: “Just came back today and half the plane was empty due to people being stuck in the queue. Absolute joke.”
Another questioned their fate if they missed their flight, asking: “We were fortunate enough last Friday to get through just before our plane left. What happens if you don’t get through on time? How do you arrange another flight and do you have to pay? ” Complaints continued with another traveller noting an hour-and-a-half of queuing, while someone else copped a lucky break, stating: “This must depend on the time of your flight. I flew home yesterday and we were the only people there. Maybe 40 minutes or so before our flight boarded.”
However, not everyone feels the strain, as one regular flyer stated: “I fly to the UK and back once a month. This is not the norm – far from it.”
The recent uproar echoes previous warnings from November last year, where tourists were cautioned about enduring delays and “constant chaos”, exacerbated in part by Brexit issues, much to the chagrin of Tenerife’s tourism chiefs, reports Birmingham Live.
Urgent measures must be taken to tackle one-hour queues at Tenerife South Airport which are impacting hundreds of thousands, industry experts warn. Jorge Marichal, the head honcho of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations, slammed the airport for being increasingly annoying, warning it is giving holidaymakers a lousy first glimpse of the island.
Marichal commented: “This lousy image as the main gateway, both for visitors and for our own residents. We deserve a 21st-century facility.” He pointed a finger at years of state budget “neglect”.
Earlier, we reported on a Brit who swapped the UK for sunny Tenerife warning fellow tourists flocking to the destination this winter.
The Canary Island, which is popular for those seeking winter sun, mmaybea slice of paradise, but visitors are being urged to stay vigilant. TikTok user @theknightstrider1, who’s called Tenerife home for over 10 years, warns a particular problem plagues the island every winter season.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the issue is pickpocketing. Unlike mainland Spain, which quiets down in winter, Tenerife’s tourist trade booms, attracting criminal gangs who “fly in” with the sole purpose of thieving from holidaymakers, treating it like a “full-time job”.
In the clip, he explained: “They are very good at it, and they will do pickpocketing. They will steal from cars if you leave stuff inside them, so please do be very careful with your wallets, and stuff like that.”
