# Ryanair names the worst airports for passport control

Canonical-URL: https://notitur.com/en/digest/ryanair-worst-airports-passport-control
Text-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/ryanair-worst-airports-passport-control.txt
Markdown-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/ryanair-worst-airports-passport-control.md
Language: en
Published: 2026-07-06T07:31:46.166Z
Modified: 2026-07-06T07:31:46.166Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Airlines
Summary: Ryanair has published the list of airports with the longest passport control delays, and Spain takes a hit. The airline's demands and the data behind them.

## Article

That passport controls in Europe are a mess is nothing new, but until now almost no one dared to **name names**. Ryanair has done it. The Irish airline has published a ranking of the worst airports for passport control, and the result is damning for Spain.

According to Ryanair's data (you can check the full story in this [article from Preferente](https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-transportes/noticias-de-aerolineas/ryanair-pone-nombre-a-los-peores-aeropuertos-para-el-control-de-pasaportes-350717.html)), non-Schengen travelers are experiencing waits of over an hour on average at several Spanish airports. The list is topped by **Alicante, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca**, closely followed by Barcelona and Madrid. The reason, according to the airline, is that the control systems cannot cope with the surge in non-EU tourists, especially British and American visitors.

This is not just a comfort issue: it is a drag on Spain's tourism competitiveness. When a tourist arrives after a three-hour flight and faces another hour in line, the experience suffers. And Ryanair, with its typical directness, is demanding action: more border staff and automated systems to speed up the process. Meanwhile, destinations that depend on those non-Schengen passengers (UK, USA, Latin America) are losing ground to faster European hubs. Are we really going to wait until the next FITUR to react?

## Sources

- Preferente: https://www.preferente.com/noticias-de-transportes/noticias-de-aerolineas/ryanair-pone-nombre-a-los-peores-aeropuertos-para-el-control-de-pasaportes-350717.html

## Citation

Ryanair names the worst airports for passport control. Notitur. 2026-07-06. https://notitur.com/en/digest/ryanair-worst-airports-passport-control