The new digital Entry Exit System (EES) implemented by the European Union has caused significant delays for British tourists, with passport control times tripling at some airports. The system, which requires non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival and departure, has led to long queues for UK nationals.
Rome's Fiumicino Airport Sees Tripled Wait Times
At Rome's Fiumicino airport, average wait times for UK nationals have increased from seven minutes to 20 minutes, according to Ivan Bassato, the airport's Chief Aviation Officer. He told the BBC that the quality of the process has declined since the introduction of EES. "We are not at the point where you have the same quality of the process [as] before the EES," Bassato said, adding that "certain aspects" of the system need fixing. Travel industry sources have reported bugs in the system that require attention.
Faro Airport Reports Similar Delays
Superintendent Pedro Oliveira, in charge of border control at Faro airport in Portugal, said wait times for Brits have increased from around 10 minutes to half an hour. He warned that if more planes arrive than expected, delays could exceed one hour. Oliveira noted that the system makes border control "very dependent on the technology," explaining that servers are often interconnected. "Sometimes something that happens in Warsaw affects our system here," he said. "At times, there are just complications with the server of the European Union. Sometimes crashes happen in all member states at the same time, and we need a few minutes to reboot everything."
Impact on Travel and Airlines
Tourists have been left stranded at European airports due to the longer queues. Earlier this year, several passengers on a flight from Milan back to the UK missed their flight because of delays. Ryanair, one of Europe's busiest airlines, has advised passengers to allow extra time for these checks. The EES system, introduced this year, aims to enhance security but has created bottlenecks at border control, particularly for non-EU passport holders.
