EU Faces Summer of Chaos as Biometric Checks Cause Delays at Airports Across Europe
As the peak summer travel season approaches, concerns are growing over the potential for widespread disruption at European airports due to new biometric checks on foreign visitors. The entry-exit system (EES), a digital passport control system, has been criticized by industry leaders for its chaotic rollout and inability to cope with expected demand.
The system, which requires travelers to be fingerprinted, photographed, and registered upon arrival in several countries, has already caused long queues at airports in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. The Airports Council International (ACI) Europe trade body reports that delays of up to three hours have been experienced, with only 35% of visitors registering their details at border control.
"We're routinely seeing queues of up to two hours," said Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe. "It's not sustainable and we fear it is only going to get worse in July and August, when we have double the traffic." He warned that queue times could reach five hours, posing a disastrous passenger experience and safety hazard.
The UK travel association Abta has urged the EU to ensure all member states and border authorities take steps to mitigate delays. "We were prepared for some teething problems," said Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer. "However, it seems that border authorities have the power to ease queues and deal with issues as they arise – but that doesn't seem to be happening across the board."
While contingency measures are in place, airport staff are being told to use them sparingly, raising concerns over the impact on passenger experience. In Portugal, long queues led authorities to suspend the system at Lisbon Airport just before New Year.
The EU has hinted at a possible six-week extension of the EES deadline, but industry leaders say they need more concrete assurances from policymakers. "We can do a Band-Aid for the summer," said Jankovec. "But we need all these things to be addressed under a coordinated European approach."
As the peak summer travel season approaches, concerns are growing over the potential for widespread disruption at European airports due to new biometric checks on foreign visitors. The entry-exit system (EES), a digital passport control system, has been criticized by industry leaders for its chaotic rollout and inability to cope with expected demand.
The system, which requires travelers to be fingerprinted, photographed, and registered upon arrival in several countries, has already caused long queues at airports in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. The Airports Council International (ACI) Europe trade body reports that delays of up to three hours have been experienced, with only 35% of visitors registering their details at border control.
"We're routinely seeing queues of up to two hours," said Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe. "It's not sustainable and we fear it is only going to get worse in July and August, when we have double the traffic." He warned that queue times could reach five hours, posing a disastrous passenger experience and safety hazard.
The UK travel association Abta has urged the EU to ensure all member states and border authorities take steps to mitigate delays. "We were prepared for some teething problems," said Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer. "However, it seems that border authorities have the power to ease queues and deal with issues as they arise – but that doesn't seem to be happening across the board."
While contingency measures are in place, airport staff are being told to use them sparingly, raising concerns over the impact on passenger experience. In Portugal, long queues led authorities to suspend the system at Lisbon Airport just before New Year.
The EU has hinted at a possible six-week extension of the EES deadline, but industry leaders say they need more concrete assurances from policymakers. "We can do a Band-Aid for the summer," said Jankovec. "But we need all these things to be addressed under a coordinated European approach."
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to introduce a new system just in time for peak travel season? It's like they're asking for trouble 
. And 3 hour queues at airports is not even a problem, it's more like a recipe for disaster 
. Can't they see that this is gonna cause so much chaos and disruption to air travel? 
I feel bad for the poor travelers who are already stressed out about their summer holidays. And what's with all these delays in Portugal... Lisbon Airport just suspended the system because of long queues! 
Unbelievable! The EU needs to get its act together and come up with a better plan 
.
We need concrete assurances from EU policymakers ASAP. It's time for a coordinated European approach 
. But hey, who am I right? 
. Biometric checks causing chaos at EU airports? Yeah, that's just what I wanted to hear about my vacation plans 
. Long queues and delays of 3 hours already? That's just peachy. And with the system being super slow, I'm sure it'll only get worse in July and August when people are trying to travel 
. It's like they didn't even test it before implementing it. And the EU is just gonna extend the deadline for a few more months? No thanks 
. Can't wait to deal with all that stress while on vacation 
... just delay it even further and watch as things get even worse 
. I mean, think about it, they're trying to streamline the process but in reality, it's causing chaos and delays. It's like, we're trying to speed up the world, but sometimes slowing down would be a better option 
.
. We need to remember that technology is just a tool, it's how we use it that matters 
. And sometimes, taking a step back and re-evaluating our approach can lead to some pretty profound changes 
.