Awful end of a good holiday.

Third year in a row visiting Lanzarote. Every time it’s been the same: easy arrival, relatively quick picking up bags. Traveling between Schengen countries means no passport control. Very smooth every time.

Departure, on the other hand; complete nightmare. Check-in opens two hours before planned departure. If your plane is delayed, check-in is delayed.
They mix different flights into the same check-in desks, meaning there will be a huge mix of travelers in the few designated desks, with flights departing at different times. And you can’t sit and wait until the line is shortening, as a new, later flight will also be sorted through these desks. Check-in is slow: 300passengers for two different flights took 1 hour and 45 minutes to get through. Time for scheduled boarding was already passed before we got through check-in.
Fast security check.
Run to find one of the few boards showing which gate to use, run to gate as last call already was blinking. No time for toilet visits, food, shopping or buying water.

Get shoveled into a shuttle bus. Doors closed. And there we stood, for 35 minutes like barreled herring in searing heat with no AC while the driver was happily strolling around on the outside. He did leave his window open, though, to let the exhaust fumes inside.

Shuttle bus finally moves, drives to plane, people get ready to leave bus, but no. Another 20 minutes waiting. While driver goes outside to stand in the shade of the bus because it’s so hot.

Every year. Every year some variation of this have occurred. Every time with almost two hours in line waiting, running like an idiot to gate, only to be shoved into a full shuttle with various amounts of waiting.
Delays are constructed by the airport. The amount of stress equals the relaxation you had on an otherwise good holiday. You will need a new holiday after this experience.

Oh, btw: all visits done during off-season. I dread how it will be during the real holidays.

Two stars only because arrival is always smooth.

2 hours wait for passport control
Coming in, and water at 5 euros a litre with no fountain in departure lounge. This place is from the Stone Age, disgusting

Came here sept 13 am time passport control person not helpful Vision challenged person left to go through on there own person went to help got told to stand clear Not a Good show off help on his part will post more on other sites to get word out

I used Special Assistance and that was fine, but the ladies' toilets were awful.
The door to the disabled toilet was locked - I did have a Radar key but it wouldn't fit - and the toilet I used in the regular toilets had no toilet paper.

What can I say but a wholly disappointing experience. I am a seasoned traveller and can quite honestly state that this is the worst airport that I have ever had the misfortune to transit through and I thought the U.S airports were bad. I took over two hours to check in and go through security, totally chaotic and unorganised. Whoever is the Director of Operations should be ashamed. Oh and please do not use Covid as an excuse as I did have a similar experience 8 years ago but thought I would chance it again. I would urge all holiday firms to lobby this airport for better service.