Key Takeaways:
- Ryanair warns of 'queue chaos' for families and urges postponement of EES until after summer.
- Berlin Airport reports non-EU passengers waiting 1-2 hours, calling the situation 'not bearable'.
- EES requires biometric registration for non-EU travelers, but technical issues cause major disruptions.
- Port of Dover faces delays as French kiosks remain inactive, with time 'running out' to fix them.
Summer Travel Nightmare Looms as EU Border System Stalls
As the summer holiday season approaches, Ryanair and the CEO of Berlin Airport have sounded alarm bells over the rollout of the European Union's new Entry-Exit System (EES). The digital check system, designed to replace passport stamping with biometric registration, is instead causing long queues, missed flights, and mounting frustration at major travel hubs.
Ryanair's chief operations officer, Neal McMahon, didn't mince words: “Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer.” The airline points to airports like Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Krakow, and Paris Beauvais as hotspots of disruption.
Meanwhile, Aletta von Massenbach, CEO of Berlin Airport, told the BBC that non-EU nationals at a terminal used by Ryanair and Wizz Air are facing waits of one to two hours. She warned this is “not bearable over the summer,” especially as passenger numbers surge.
How EES Works – and Why It's Failing
Under the EES, travelers from outside the EU must register biometric information – fingerprints and photos – when entering most European countries, and the same data is checked upon departure. The system went fully operational in April, aiming to modernize borders, boost security, and eventually smooth travel. But reality has been different.
Key problems identified:
- Inconsistent implementation: EU member states use different sub-systems, creating complexity that “doesn't really support smooth processing at the border,” von Massenbach noted.
- Technical failures: At the Port of Dover, French authorities cannot activate 84 kiosks built to handle EES for cross-Channel travelers, leaving a new processing area idle.
- Peak time bottlenecks: Even where it works, the extra biometric steps add significant time during rush hours.
Industry Warnings and the Clock Ticking
The head of Europe's airports trade body recently admitted that fears over EES “keep him and other industry bosses awake at night.” The system has caused some passengers to miss flights home, and Ryanair is now calling on governments to postpone EES until after the summer break to avoid widespread chaos.
At the Port of Dover, CEO Doug Bannister told MPs on Thursday that “time is rapidly running out” to resolve the kiosk activation issue. He stressed: “We are rapidly heading towards the start of the critical summer period and are yet to receive the assurances we need to avoid what has the potential to be a very challenging six weeks.”
What the European Commission Says
The European Commission acknowledges the problems and says it is “willing to offer more support” to member states struggling with the rollout. However, with the system live and no temporary suspension in sight, the burden now falls on airports, airlines, and travelers to cope.
What travelers should know:
- Non-EU nationals should expect delays at passport control, especially at peak times.
- Allow extra time (1-2 hours) for biometric processing at affected airports.
- Check with airlines or airports for real-time queue updates before travel.
As the summer rush begins, the clash between modernization and operational reality is threatening to turn Europe's travel corridors into a scene of gridlock. Whether Brussels can speed up fixes remains the critical question for millions of holidaymakers.