Key Takeaways:
- The EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) has triggered hour-long queues at major airports since its April rollout.
- Airport bosses and airline groups warn of a 'disaster' this summer, urging a suspension of the system.
- Processing times have doubled, with some passengers facing up to 5-hour waits and missing flights.
- Plans for exemptions for Britons have been rejected by the EU, despite widespread criticism.
EES Rollout Marred by Tech Failures
The European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU citizens to submit fingerprints and photos at border entry, has sparked a travel crisis. After repeated delays, the system was launched in mid-April, but its implementation has been plagued by technical glitches and inadequate infrastructure. Airport executives now warn that the coming peak summer season could face 'disastrous' queues.
Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma, which manages Rome's Fiumicino airport, told The Times that processing times have doubled since EES went live. "We managed to optimise the process on our end bringing this to 90 seconds [down from two minutes] but it is still too high. This is of course not compatible with 50,000-60,000 passengers every day," he said, adding that the system's design is the core problem.
Airline and Airport Alliances Unite
Major industry bodies have joined forces to demand action. Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Airlines for Europe, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) penned a joint letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for the system's suspension at least through July and August.
Their warning is stark: passengers are enduring queues of up to five hours during peak traffic. The letter highlighted that these delays are "impacting millions of passengers entering the Schengen Area, including families travelling with young children, elderly passengers and persons with reduced mobility." They also noted that Europe's reputation as a holiday destination is "at stake."
The Worst Airports for Summer Queues
UK airlines have identified the airports most likely to suffer severe delays this summer. These include:
- Spain: Lanzarote, Tenerife South, Malaga, Palma, Alicante
- Italy: Rome (Fiumicino), Milan (Linate and Malpensa), Naples, Bergamo
- Portugal: Porto, Lisbon
- Other: Amsterdam (Schiphol), Krakow, Paris (CDG and Beauvais), Malta, Menorca, Budapest
Ryanair has warned that infrastructure at many of these airports is "not ready" for peak summer volumes. The airline's Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, stated: "Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system."
Chaos at Ports and Border Crossings
The EES issues extend beyond airports. Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu reported that the system increases port departure times by around 50%. The company has proposed conducting biometric checks during ferry crossings to streamline the process, but the idea has yet to gain traction.
Fears are also high for the ports of Dover and Folkestone, where French border checks occur on UK soil. With the peak summer season approaching, travellers face potential gridlock.
Only 7,000 Overstayers Caught
Despite the chaos, the EU defends the system, noting it has already caught 7,000 individuals who overstayed their allowed time. An EU Commission spokesman stated: "The purpose of the system is to improve the security of EU citizens while keeping travelling smooth for legitimate travellers."
However, critics argue that the system's architecture is fundamentally flawed. The EU has allowed Schengen states to suspend EES for six-hour windows during peak times, but national border forces must re-apply the exemption every six hours—a process that causes further confusion.
Calls for Suspension Gain Momentum
As the situation worsens, the call for a suspension grows louder. ACI Europe President Stefan Schulte said: "I just do not know how we will be able to cope in the coming weeks." He urged border authorities to use the suspension flexibly to "show respect and decency" for travellers.
Plans by Greece, Portugal, and Italy to exempt Britons from the system this summer have been rejected by Brussels. The UK is now fully subject to EES as a non-EU country post-Brexit.
The bottom line: With peak summer weeks ahead, the EES system is in danger of causing massive disruption. Unless the EU acts swiftly to suspend or overhaul the process, travellers face a summer of long queues, missed flights, and frustration.