Airport scandal in Spain

The decision of AENA to effectively close off most entrances and exits to and from airports in Spain, in order to tackle the problem of vagrants and the homeless sleeping in the terminals, has caused a problem for travellers.

[photo courtesy of LinkedIn]

On Monday night I flew late into Malaga-Costa del Sol airport and along with hundreds of other airline passengers we couldn't get out! The new policy of shutting nearly all exits from the terminal building and suspending the lift service from arrivals up to ground level and level 1 caused mayhem.

[Photo courtesy of Sol Villa Real Estate]

What was the result?

During the day (and night until recently) everyone being met and in the know would go up to the Departures Car Park to be picked up or to get their hire car or bus (Who designed this airport, where the Arrivals Car Park is "miles away" from where you arrive?).

This was fine and the 10 minutes free parking was long enough to escape parking charges..With this new regime it's impossible to get to the Departures car park in 10 minutes, so if you're being picked up you incur parking fees. In my case, because it was not obvious how to get  there with no lift and most of the doors locked, my wife, who had come to collect me, exceeded her parking time by 30 minutes! Not cheap!

Why?

I wanted to know why they were shutting nearly all the exits and suspending the lift. So I asked a copper (guardia civil officers have responsibility for security at airports, ports and borders).

[Photo courtesy of Antena 3]

"It's an instruction from AENA* to prevent tramps and vagrants entering the airport to sleep at night."

"Won't they just come earlier?" I asked straight-faced. 

The guardia just shrugged and smiled at me.

* AENA is the Spanish equivalent of the BAA - British Airports Authority.

Unintended consequences

I'm sure AENA didn't realise that this would mean that many users of the airport would incur parking charges because their 10 minutes would run out.

What do I think?

They should program their smart car park machines to double the free period to 20 minutes when this rather silly action plan comes into action every night. Or just increase it to 20 minutes for the whole day."Come on, AENA, pull your calcetines  up!"

[Photo courtesy of Alamy]  

 Links:

Police check in Spain - Secret Serrania de Ronda

Ryanair - the world's most successful airline - and the most hated

Spain's three police forces explained... and who does what!

© Paul Whitelock

With thanks to:

AENA, Alamy, Antena 3, Linked In, Malaga airport, Sol Villa Real Estate, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia, Wookleepedia

Tags:

AENA, airport, airport security, Alamy, Antena 3, Gatwick, guardia civil, hand luggage, homeless, Linked In, Paul Whitelock, Sol Villa Real Estate, tramp, vagrant, Wetherspoon, Wikipedia, Wookleepedia