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UK tourists have been warned to expect “chaos” at a popular airport as it’s experiencing what’s been described as the “world’s longest queues”. Travellers have been told to be vigilant
Lots of people are starting to think about jetting off on holiday at the moment, but tourists have been warned about alleged hellish queues at a popular airport. As much as we all want our travel experiences to be as easy and stress-free as possible, sometimes this just isn’t always the case.
For anyone heading to Spain soon, there’s some information you need to know due to alleged queues at a popular airport. Scenes at the venue have been described as “chaotic” with the amount of people waiting in line to be seen leaving people in complete shock and confusion.
Videos have gone viral showing the scenes at Tenerife South Airport in recent weeks, with the experience being deemed chaotic. It comes as it was confirmed a simple passport mistake could lead to you being stuck in lengthy queues too.
A TikTok user, known as Homer, wrote: “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. Several people were quick to comment too.
One said: “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 replied: “It’s absolutely ridiculous.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “That is hell.”
However, some admitted they’ve travelled through the airport without experiencing any issues. It seems people have had mixed 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 seems not everyone was hit by the lengthy queue times.
It’s reported the queues were linked to new travel rules that have come into place. 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, aiming for full implementation this year. It’s claimed the process could cause initial airport delays, so it’s best to be prepared.
Tenerife Airport was contacted to respond to the size of the queues witnessed by some travellers. It noted the airport has provided the necessary infrastructure, but the authority over the management of the border control depends on the Ministry of the Interior.
