Worst airport for no-deal disruption identified

Alicante could be the worst European airport for delays in the event of a no-deal Brexit, an investigation has found.

Consumer group Which? claimed UK holidaymakers flying to the Spanish airport may face hours of delays on arrival due to extra passport checks.

Some 43% of all passengers entering Alicante Airport are from the UK, according to the research.

An average of 201 hours of additional immigration checks may be required every day at the airport if the UK withdraws from the EU without an agreement, the study suggests.

Alicante is one of six Spanish airports in the top 10 for UK arrivals in Europe.

The others are Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca.

Which? expressed concern that the Spanish government has yet to announce how it will tackle additional immigration checks.

It warned that officials may have to check UK holidaymakers’ passport validity, passport expiry date, purpose and length of stay and whether they can support themselves financially.

The investigation calculated that it would take five hours to process a flight full of UK passport holders.

Travel trade body the European Tourism Association has estimated that additional checks required in a no-deal Brexit could add an extra 90 seconds per passenger.