Travelers at several European airports are facing wait times of up to three hours at border checks due to the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which was implemented in the Schengen Area, affecting 25 EU member states plus several nearby countries. The Airports Council International (ACI) warned that the situation could worsen during the busy summer period, with delays already impacting flights.
Passengers from non-EU countries, including the UK, now must register personal information and biometrics at the border. While the European Commission claims the system is functioning well on average, ACI argues that processing times could extend to five minutes. Following reports of significant delays, ACI has called for temporary suspensions of EES registrations when wait times become excessive.
Additionally, European airports may face jet fuel supply disruptions because of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, prompting ACI to alert EU officials about potential shortages. Ryanair’s CEO criticized the EES implementation as chaotic and suggested postponing it until October. The European Commission is addressing technical issues with the system as they arise.
Source link
