- Aena will add more than 10,500 hours of border-control support at Palma Airport for the rollout.
- The EU Entry/Exit System becomes fully active on Sunday, September 6, 2026, ending transition flexibility.
- Support staff will guide passengers, but National Police keep border authority and entry decisions.
Aena is adding more than 10,500 hours of border-control support at Palma Airport before the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System takes full effect on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The airport operator has tendered the work for three months, covering passenger processing points used by travelers from outside the EU.
The added personnel will support state security forces during the rollout. They will not decide whether passengers can enter. That authority remains with the National Police.
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British travelers and other third-country passengers will encounter the system at full scale from September 6. A temporary Europe-wide flexibility allowance expires that day, ending the period in which countries could manage the transition with greater operational discretion.
The change applies to people traveling to Schengen destinations such as Mallorca. It replaces traditional manual-style checks for non-EU nationals with digital and automated processing.
The support teams will work on both sides of the passenger journey. They will be positioned at arrivals, departures and the various third-country border-control points.
Their tasks are practical. Staff will guide passengers through the new automatic gates and check-in kiosks, organize queues, point travelers toward the right lines and alert police when an incident threatens security or the movement of people.
Aena’s tender documents describe the intended result as an “orderly” and “smooth” passenger flow. The operator also wants to prevent overcrowding inside airport facilities.
The new checks will be handled through a flexible airport operation
Aena will not assign one permanent number of support workers to every shift. Instead, the contractor will adjust staffing to the flight schedule, allowing coverage to change as demand at border-control points rises or falls.
Airlines will reportedly provide one week’s notice of affected flights. That notice will allow the contractor to organize shifts around the expected operation.
The arrangement separates assistance from enforcement. Support workers can help passengers use equipment and manage lines, but the National Police will continue conducting the actual border-control process.
| Part of the operation | Responsibility or arrangement |
|---|---|
| Passenger guidance | Support staff help travelers use kiosks and gates |
| Queue management | Support staff organize and signpost lines |
| Security incidents | Support staff alert police |
| Border-control decisions | National Police |
| Staffing levels | Adjusted to the flight schedule |
| Contract duration | Three months |
The contract covers more than 10,500 hours. Aena has commissioned it specifically to reinforce the State Security Forces during the introduction of the new border regime.
Non-EU travelers will enter the Schengen area through a digital record
The system is a bloc-wide border-control database with biometric screening for non-EU nationals making short stays in the Schengen area. Its operation is designed to create a digital record rather than rely only on traditional manual checks.
That process will affect British passport holders traveling to Mallorca as well as other travelers from outside the European Union. The airport’s kiosks and gates form part of the passenger-facing process, while police officers retain control over the border examination.
The full implementation date is September 6, 2026. Passengers arriving after the transition allowance ends will therefore encounter the system under its regular operating model.
Mallorca’s traffic makes the transition a visible test
Mallorca is a major entry point for British and other non-EU travelers. That makes the island one of the locations where pressure from the new checks is expected to be felt most sharply, particularly during busy periods.
The staffing reinforcement responds to the risk of delays as passengers learn the new procedure. People who have not used the kiosks or automated equipment before may need directions before they reach the police-controlled stage.
The airport will also need to keep passenger movement orderly while flights continue arriving and departing. The tender’s design addresses both needs by combining queue support with staffing that can follow the flight program.
The three-month service is intended to cover the first months of full implementation. Its work begins as the temporary flexibility period expires on September 6, placing the new passenger process into routine operation at one of Mallorca’s main international gateways.
