Madrid Airport full to capacity with huge passport queues expected for Champions League final

Liverpool and Tottenham fans are being told to take alternative routes to Madrid on the day of the Champions League final as the Spanish capital’s airport will be full to capacity.

The two Premier League teams meet on June 1 in the European Cup’s showpiece event and it is anticipated that 150,000 supporters will make the trip to Spain, with or without a match ticket. 

Madrid Airport typically only handles between 2,000-3,000 passengers an hour but with 60,000 fans set to head to the game via aircraft, that number is expected to rise to more than 6,000 per hour, placing a strain on staff. 

The two sides are set to be roared on by 150,000 in Madrid with 60,000 flying to Spain

Glenn Phillips, a spokesperson for Air Charter Service, told Sportsmail that the advice to supporters is to fly into Valencia or Zaragoza airport and make the trip to Madrid from there by coach. 

Valencia is around three-and-a-half hours away from the capital while Zaragoza is similar. 

‘We have already booked 12 commercial airliner flights for the Champions League final, carrying over 2,000 people in total, as well as a number of private jets,’ Phillips said.

‘We are currently, however, recommending bypassing Madrid Airport as it normally only handles 2,000-3,000 passengers an hour. 

‘That number is expected to rise to more than 6,000 per hour, causing lengthy passport control delays in and out. 

‘We are suggesting flights to Zaragoza or Valencia which are both a few hours away by luxury coach, but that will be a lot more relaxing than the chaos at Madrid Airport.’

Flight prices increased rapidly moments after Liverpool became the first team to book their place in the final. 

Liverpool and Tottenham go head-to-head on June 1 at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano

There is a scramble for tickets among supporters of both clubs for the final next month 

Within hours of the final whistle, flights peaked at more than £750 for a one-way ticket on the day before the game. 

Both fan-bases face an expensive trip with flights, hotels and tickets setting supporters back thousands of pounds.  

Liverpool have been allocated just 16,613 tickets for the final in Madrid and fans face a scramble to get a ticket for the highly-anticipated game.

A seat at the Wanda Metropolitano will cost supporters between £60 and £513 for the biggest game in European club football this season.

Even a spot in areas of Atletico Madrid’s ground with restricted view cost as much as £410, while tickets bought on the second-hand market will fetch for even more.

Tottenham fans had requested that the club subsidise supporters on tickets but they have denied a request from their Supporters’ Trust in a bid to dissuade UEFA from repeating the extortionate costs in future. 

‘As you are aware UEFA set both the allocation and the prices. We acknowledge that these prices, along with the inflated flight and hotel prices, represent significant costs for fans’, Spurs said in reply to a request from Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST). 

‘We have and we would urge you to do so too, raised both ticket prices and the limited allocation with UEFA in the hope that future competitions can be priced more reasonably and made more widely accessible.

‘For the game in hand however we do not feel it is appropriate for us to subsidise ticket prices, not least because it would remove any incentive for competition organisers to price sensibly in the future.

‘Both yourselves and Spirit of Shankly have ensured that the issues of allocation and pricing have been aired and the hope must be that future competitions acknowledge fan sentiments.’  

Fans saw prices to go to Spain hike to £750 for one-way flight after Liverpool reached the final