Six Hour EU Airport Queues Threaten Summer Travel
Summer holidays are fast approaching and for many Britons planning a trip to Europe, there's a growing concern about what awaits them at the airport. Airlines are warning of potentially massive delays, with waits of up to six hours at some European airports this summer. This is all down to the new Entry and Exit System, or EES, that the European Union has implemented for non-the European Union travellers. It's a system designed to replace passport stamps with electronic records and it's already causing significant disruption.
The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, which represents airlines worldwide, has issued this stark warning. They've reported that disruption is already being seen in popular destinations like Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, among others. According to the IATA, a simple passport check that used to take around twenty to twenty-five seconds can now take as long as ninety seconds. This increase in processing time, multiplied by the number of travellers, is creating the potential for very long queues, especially if authorities don't get a handle on staffing and technical issues quickly.
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This isn't just a theoretical problem; we've already seen evidence of these delays. During the Spring bank holiday weekend, French authorities at Dover had to temporarily ease some of the EES procedures due to queues stretching for several hours. At Dover, the biometric registration part of the system isn't fully operational yet because some equipment is still being installed, meaning officers are having to create traveller records manually. This situation highlights how the system is still bedding in and ports like Dover have previously warned that busy holiday periods could lead to further disruption as the new system rolls out.
Airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air have already stated that they will not wait for passengers who are stuck in these border control queues, meaning people could miss their flights entirely. The IATA is advising travellers to allow significantly more time than usual when navigating border controls this summer. They are also calling on the European Union authorities to maintain flexibility measures beyond September, suggesting the system might not be robust enough to handle peak passenger numbers just yet. Even Britons who hold valid French residency cards and are therefore exempt from the EES registration, might still face delays due to the increased processing times for everyone else.
The implications for summer travel are significant and this warning is likely to renew concerns for anyone planning to travel to or from the continent. With popular holiday destinations like Alicante and Lanzarote in Spain already experiencing some of the longest delays, the prospect of arriving at your holiday destination having spent half a day in a queue is a real one. It's a stark reminder that new systems, however well-intentioned, can have unforeseen consequences for travellers. Stay with Mirror 7 News for all updates as they happen.
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