Airports across Europe are reporting waiting times of up to three hours at border checks due to the European Union's new Entry-Exit System (EES), according to the Airports Council International (ACI). The system, which requires non-EU travellers including Britons to register personal information and biometric data, has caused significant queues in countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece.
Olivier Jankovec, director of ACI Europe, warned that the situation would become 'simply unmanageable' during peak summer months. He told the Financial Times that queueing times were already long as traffic began to build up. The ACI has called for the power to suspend EES checks when waiting times become excessive.
The EES came into full effect on 10 April in the Schengen area, which includes 25 EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Since its gradual introduction in October, it has registered over 52 million entries and exits, and more than 27,000 refusals of entry, with almost 700 individuals identified as security threats.
A European Commission spokesperson insisted the system 'is working very well' in most member states, with an average registration time of 70 seconds, though ACI claims it can take up to five minutes. The spokesperson acknowledged 'a few member states where technical issues have been detected' and said they were being addressed.
Separately, airports are bracing for potential jet fuel supply disruption due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary described the EES as 'a shambles' and called for its full introduction to be postponed until October.
