The incident, which occurred at the end of February 2026, reignited the debate about the lack of staff at Spanish border posts, especially at a time when tourist demand continues to grow steadily.

The blockage was not due to problems with the airline, but rather to congestion at the National Police counters, which were unable to cope with the volume of non-EU travellers.

This situation particularly affects British tourists who, after Brexit, are now considered citizens of third countries. Unlike citizens of the European Union, who use eGates quickly, UK passport holders have to face manual checks and passport stamping.

At airports like Lanzarote, where the volume of flights from the UK is very high, and the infrastructure was designed for free European movement, any shortfall in police personnel immediately results in bottlenecks at arrivals.

The situation in Lanzarote is not an isolated case, with similar complaints periodically arising in tourist hubs such as Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife. The Spanish airport management company (Aena) has acknowledged that passenger flow is heavily dependent on the deployment levels of the National Police, which vary according to the central government's resource planning.

With new changes looming at the Schengen Area borders, such as the future biometric entry and exit system (EES), this incident raises questions about smaller airports' ability to cope with additional layers of digital bureaucracy without effective staff reinforcement.