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As many people are beginning to contemplate jetting off on holiday, tourists have been cautioned about purportedly nightmarish queues at a popular airport. While we all desire our travel experiences to be as smooth and stress-free as possible, this isn’t always the reality.
For those planning a trip to Spain soon, there’s some crucial information you need to be aware of due to reported queues at a well-liked airport. The scenes at the venue have been characterised as “chaotic”, with the number of people waiting in line leaving others utterly astounded and bewildered.
Videos depicting the scenes at Tenerife South Airport in recent weeks have gone viral, with the experience being labelled as chaotic. This comes after it was confirmed that a simple passport error could result in lengthy queue times.
A TikTok user, known as Homer, posted: “Tenerife Airport right now is absolute CHAOS. This might genuinely be the world’s biggest queue, and it just keeps growing.
“Flights looming. Tempers rising. All because of the new security procedures, and no one was ready for it. People have been waiting for HOURS.
“If you’re flying from Tenerife anytime soon, get there EARLY. Like, really early.” The video has been viewed hundreds of times since it was shared, with several people quick to comment.
Warning: Below video contains offensive language
One person remarked: “I absolutely love Tenerife, but this is depressing.” Another added: “That would be enough for me. I would never go back, and I’ve been six times.”
A third responded: “It’s absolutely ridiculous.” Meanwhile, a fourth added: “That is hell.”
However, some admitted they’ve passed through the airport without encountering any problems. It appears travellers have had varying experiences.
Another wrote: “Here now, and got through in 10 mins max. No issues.” Someone else replied: “We left yesterday with no problem. Got through in 10 minutes.”
One more also said: “Here now. No queue whatsoever.” It appears not everyone was affected by the lengthy queue times.
It’s understood the queues were connected to new travel regulations that have been introduced. From October 2025, the EU implemented the Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU citizens (including UK citizens) to provide fingerprint scans and facial images upon entering the Schengen Area.
This digital process replaces passport stamping, with full implementation aimed for this year. It’s suggested the process could cause initial airport delays, so it’s advisable to be prepared.
Tenerife Airport was approached to respond to the size of the queues witnessed by some travellers. They stated that while the airport has provided the necessary infrastructure, the management of border control falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior.
