The three Spanish airports facing the worst EES delays

British holidaymakers heading to Spain this summer are being urged to build in extra time at the border, as new EU Entry/Exit System checks trigger particularly severe queues at three of the country’s busiest airports just as peak season traffic surges.

Palma de Mallorca: bottlenecks at a key UK gateway

Palma de Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan Airport is emerging as one of the main pressure points for the new Entry/Exit System, with travel industry monitoring and media coverage pointing to a sharp rise in disruption since the biometric checks became fully operational in April 2026. Reports highlight that Palma, already one of Spain’s busiest leisure hubs, has seen a marked increase in delayed departures and lengthy border queues for non-EU passengers, especially on popular UK routes.

Analysis cited in Spanish and British travel press notes that overall delay rates for flights from Palma have climbed significantly compared with last year, coinciding with the first high season under the new rules. Travellers arriving from the UK have reported long lines for initial EES registration, which involves fingerprint and facial scans in addition to passport checks, creating congestion when multiple flights land within a short window.

Industry observers stress that Palma’s heavy dependence on short-haul leisure traffic from Britain and Germany has amplified the impact. With aircraft often scheduled in tight waves to maximise capacity, any slowdown at passport control can quickly ripple through the system, leading to missed connections, late departures and knock-on delays throughout the day.

Ahead of the main school summer holidays in late July and August, Spanish tourism specialists are warning that Palma’s combination of record passenger volumes and EES teething problems could make it one of the most challenging airports in the country for British visitors who do not plan extra time for border formalities.

Alicante: pressure point on Spain’s Costa Blanca

Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport, the main gateway to the Costa Blanca, has also been repeatedly flagged in recent weeks as a hotspot for EES congestion. Consumer advocacy coverage and traveller testimonies describe long, slow-moving queues for non-EU arrivals at peak times, with some passengers waiting well over an hour to clear border control when several flights from the UK and Ireland arrive together.

The airport handles millions of leisure travellers each year, a large proportion of them British holidaymakers and second-home owners. With EES requiring first-time registration on entry to the Schengen area, Alicante’s high share of occasional visitors appears to be contributing to longer processing times at booths that were previously able to stamp passports more quickly.

Travel industry reports indicate that low-cost carriers serving Alicante have begun advising passengers to arrive significantly earlier for departures, particularly during weekend peaks. While EES checks are performed on both arrival and departure, observers note that outbound queues can also build where there are limited staffed booths or technical issues with the biometric equipment.

Local tourism commentators are increasingly concerned that persistent delays could dent the appeal of the Costa Blanca for time-sensitive travellers, especially families with young children or older passengers. However, they also point out that wait times remain highly variable, and that those travelling outside the busiest mid-morning and evening flight banks are less likely to encounter severe hold-ups.

Madrid-Barajas: hub airport feeling the strain

Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport, Spain’s main international hub, is another major hotspot where EES is contributing to extended queues for non-EU nationals, including British visitors transiting onwards to other Spanish and Latin American destinations. Travel forums and recent media reports describe passengers allowing several hours to connect between flights through Madrid due to concerns about clearing the new biometric checks in time.

As a hub with complex transfer flows, Madrid faces a different set of challenges compared with pure leisure airports. Passengers arriving from the UK and changing to domestic services must often pass through full EES registration before re-clearing security, which can significantly lengthen minimum connection times. Some travellers have reported adjusting their itineraries, building in overnight stops or booking longer layovers to reduce the risk of missed onward journeys.

Published industry briefings from airline and airport associations identify Spain as one of several countries where the combination of EES and strong post-pandemic demand is fuelling missed connections and schedule disruption. Madrid’s role as a major gateway for Latin America means that any delay at the Schengen border can have wider knock-on effects, particularly for tightly timed long-haul departures.

While airport authorities and border police have introduced additional staff and signage in some terminals, observers say the system remains under strain at busy times. Travellers connecting through Madrid this summer are widely being advised to pay close attention to airline guidance on minimum check-in and transfer times and to avoid last-minute self-made connections where possible.

Why these three airports are most exposed

The pattern emerging across Spain suggests that Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Madrid-Barajas share several features that make them particularly vulnerable to EES-related disruption. All three handle large numbers of non-EU leisure passengers, especially from the UK, many of whom are going through EES registration for the first time. This creates a high proportion of time-consuming checks compared with destinations that rely more heavily on intra-Schengen traffic.

In addition, these airports operate pronounced peak waves tied to holiday charter and low-cost schedules. At Palma and Alicante, early-morning and late-evening banks of UK-bound flights can see thousands of passengers converging on border control in a short period, magnifying any technical glitches or staffing shortages. At Madrid, the concentration of long-haul connections adds further pressure to get passengers processed quickly to protect onward journeys.

Recent commentary from airline groups argues that the timing of full EES implementation, coinciding with one of the busiest summer seasons in recent years, has exacerbated the strain. European airline and airport bodies have jointly warned that long queues and registration backlogs at key leisure gateways are likely to persist through August, particularly where infrastructure upgrades and staff recruitment lag behind demand.

Despite these challenges, some travel analysts note that conditions are not uniformly bad across Spain. Airports with more gradual traffic peaks or higher shares of EU nationals appear to be coping better, and anecdotal reports from destinations such as Málaga and Valencia suggest that wait times can still be relatively modest outside the busiest periods, underlining the importance of timing and route choice.

What travellers can do to reduce the risk of delays

With queues at Palma, Alicante and Madrid-Barajas expected to fluctuate through the peak holiday weeks, travel experts are advising passengers to plan conservatively. Guidance from airlines and government travel advisories commonly recommends arriving at least three hours before departure for flights back to the UK from major EU hubs, and in some cases even earlier during school holiday peaks.

Passengers are urged to monitor airport and airline updates in the days before travel, as many carriers are adjusting check-in opening times and publishing specific advice for routes that have seen repeated problems. Booking a single through-ticket rather than separate legs can also offer more protection if EES delays cause missed connections, as it places responsibility for rerouting on the operating airline.

For those still choosing where to fly, travel commentators suggest weighing up the trade-off between flight price and airport experience. While Palma, Alicante and Madrid-Barajas remain essential gateways for many Spanish destinations, alternative airports or travel dates outside the busiest weekends could offer a smoother passage through the new border controls, particularly for families or passengers with reduced mobility.

Ultimately, the new system is designed to speed up subsequent trips once travellers are fully registered, but the first full summer under EES is testing the capacity of some of Spain’s most popular airports. Until adjustments in staffing, technology and passenger behaviour fully bed in, holidaymakers using these three gateways are likely to face a very different border experience compared with previous years and should plan their journeys accordingly.