Chaos at Barajas Due to Passport Control Collapse

Passport control in Terminal T4 Satellite at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport was overwhelmed this Wednesday.

According to sources consulted by Europa Press, this congestion has been ongoing for several days, but today it reached its peak with delays of up to 60 minutes, causing some passengers to miss their flights.

The same sources confirm that the issues stem from a lack of police personnel. At 11:00 am, the peak time for international flight departures, the terminal had only 8 officers for this task, although there are positions for 16.

As reported by multiple social media users, queues of hundreds of tourists have formed, waiting to cross the border within the airport. Sources from the Ministry of the Interior also point to "a temporary IT issue affecting the applications used by the National Police" as a secondary cause.

The Tourism Board has reacted to this incident, describing it as "absolutely unacceptable" and criticized that, although the posts are installed, the staffing of National Police officers remains insufficient, "leading to these posts being closed and consequently causing nervousness, altercations, and massive losses of international connecting flights."

According to the entity, the situation required the intervention of the Civil Guard to manage the "tension" generated among travelers.

"Hundreds of desperate users, many in transit, have missed their flights and are experiencing frustration at a chaotic spectacle unworthy of a first-class international airport," adds the Tourism Board in a statement where its president, Juan Molas, highlights that "this is not a one-off failure or an unforeseeable circumstance, but a repeated negligence by the Ministry of the Interior."