The Exceltur tourism alliance in Spain has warned of ‘major chaos’ at airports that receive the highest number of British tourists if more passport control staff aren’t put in place in time for the summer peak.

Exceltur Executive Vice-President José Luis Zoreda, said airports at Malaga, Majorca, Tenerife and Gran Canaria are expected to have the biggest problems.

He warned delays will occur at airports with the highest arrivals of British tourists, who must now go through passport control for citizens from outside the European Union, making the process slower than for EU citizens.

Mr Zoreda stressed the problems were not due to mismanagement by airport authority Aena.

He urged the Ministry of Interior to ensure the main tourist airports and Madrid-Barajas have enough police to staff passport control for passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries, especially those from the UK, which is the main source market for tourists to Spain.