Key facts
- The EU's new Entry Exit System (EES) requires non-EU citizens to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival.
- Passport control times for Britons at Rome's Fiumicino Airport have increased from seven to 20 minutes due to the EES.
- Ryanair has warned passengers to expect extended waits at passport control due to the EES.
- Bugs and server issues have affected the EES technology in countries like Portugal.
- The European Commission maintains that disruption is limited in most EU airports.
The European Union's new Entry Exit System (EES), implemented since October, is causing significant delays for non-EU citizens, including Britons, at passport control across Europe. Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer at Rome's Fiumicino Airport, stated that the system has nearly tripled wait times for UK nationals, increasing them from seven to 20 minutes, and described the situation as needing urgent fixing. He noted that despite the system's high cost, the integration with e-gates has only partially improved the situation.
Ryanair has warned passengers traveling to Europe this summer to prepare for extended waits, attributing the delays to the "failed EES rollout." Passengers have reported missing flights and enduring queues of up to two hours in Rome and 45-50 minutes in Barcelona. Some machines have reportedly been non-operational, contributing to the delays.
In Portugal, Superintendent Pedro Oliveira of Faro airport confirmed that EES has increased queue times to over thirty minutes at times, attributing some issues to bugs and server interdependencies within the EU's IT system. He assured that more border officers have been recruited and that technology issues are occurring less frequently.
The European Commission, however, has stated that disruption is limited in most EU airports and that it will continue to support member states in the system's implementation. The EES requires non-EU citizens to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival, with information checked upon departure, often using standalone kiosks or e-gates.