Europe's Airports Chief: Digital Border System Causing Major Delays
Quick Look
- The head of Europe's airports trade body, Stefan Schulte, warns that the EU's new Entry-Exit System (EES) is causing significant delays and passengers are missing flights.
- He urges politicians to acknowledge the system's failures amid rising travel traffic.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The EU's Entry-Exit System (EES) requires non-EU travellers to register biometric data upon entry, intended to enhance border security. However, it has been linked to significant delays at several European airports.
The head of Europe's airports trade body says concerns over the region's new digital border control system are keeping him and other industry bosses awake at night.
Earlier this year, the EU completed the roll out of its Entry-Exit System (EES). It requires travellers from outside the EU to register biometric information when entering most European countries, which is then checked when they leave.
Although EES has been working well in some countries, it has also been blamed for causing significant delays at a number of airports, with some passengers missing flights.
Stefan Schulte, president of ACI Europe, said politicians should "stop pretending... that EES is working just fine. It is not."
Schulte, who is also head of the company that owns Frankfurt Airport, told an industry event in Prague: "Passengers are queueing for hours at peak traffic times and I just do not know how we will be able to cope in the coming weeks with the expected increase in traffic."
The BBC has contacted the European Commission, which oversees the EES, for comment.
Earlier this month, dozens of Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Athens after their flight to London Luton left without them.
Ryanair blamed border delays, while the airport said it had been experiencing congestion linked to "additional processing requirements", though neither directly said EES was responsible.
However, it marked the latest incident of passengers being left behind since EES was brought in. In April, some passengers due to fly from Milan Bergamo and Milan Linate to Manchester also missed their flights due to problems at passport control.
The system obliges most travellers from outside the European Economic Area to register biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, which can then be checked each time they cross the borders of the Schengen free travel zone.
Wizz Air has previously urged British holidaymakers to arrive at European airports three hours before their flight home departs due to lengthy queues caused by the new border checks.
Open Questions
- Will the EES be improved to handle increased traffic?
- What specific measures will be taken to mitigate delays?
- Will airlines and airports face compensation claims?
