The contingency measures package, announced by the Ministry of Internal Administration, aims to provide a swift response to the long delays and hours-long queues observed in recent weeks at the capital's airport facilities, particularly during peak traffic periods.

In addition to increasing the police contingent for inspection, the Executive's plan includes the physical installation of 18 new manual document control posts and 18 more electronic gates (e-gates).

With this logistical reinforcement, the authorities intend to significantly accelerate the passenger screening and validation process at border crossings, minimising the operational impact on the flow of departures and arrivals and attempting to restore normalcy to the country's main airport infrastructure.

The urgency of this intervention is supported by the most recent data from the European Airport Association, ACI Europe, which indicates a critical scenario in which waiting times at the Lisbon border can reach 3.5 hours during peak traffic.

This macroeconomic indicator shows a clear worsening compared to the diagnosis in April, when maximum delays were around 2 hours.

The association's study, which covered 45 airports in 20 EU member states, classified the current situation as worrying, indicating that the crisis in customs controls is spreading to airports that previously operated with waiting times below one hour.

Regarding consumer rights, the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) issued an important clarification, stating that passengers who miss their flights due to time spent in border control queues will not be entitled to any financial compensation or logistical assistance from airlines.

The national regulatory body clarifies that, from a legal and procedural standpoint, airlines cannot be held legally responsible for operational failures or structural constraints that are entirely outside their direct control.

This legal interpretation contradicts the position taken by DECO, which in recent days had made a formal appeal to the Government for the creation of extraordinary mechanisms for financial compensation or support funds.

The consumer protection association defends the rights of travellers who, having scrupulously complied with the recommended arrival times at the airport, are harmed and lose their flight connections due to the inability of state services to respond.

The controversy intensifies at a time when air traffic at Portela continues to grow, testing the physical limits of Lisbon's infrastructure.