Travel associations have renewed calls for flexibility of the EU entry/exit system (EES) after reports of disruption, three-hour queues and passengers missing flights in the first three days of implementation.
Airports Council International (ACI) Europe and Airlines for Europe (A4E) said day one of the start of the system, on Friday, 10 April, was ‘marked by passenger disruptions, delays and missed flights’.
More problems were reported over the weekend, including on Sunday when 100 easyJet passengers missed their flight to Manchester after queuing for three hours at Border Control in Milan Linate Airport.
ACI Europe and A4E reported passenger wait times of ‘two or three hours’ during peak travel periods.
“These delays are occurring despite border authorities making extensive use of partial suspension measures, which allow biometrics data not to be captured,” they said in a joint statement.
“A flight to the UK today [10 April] was missing 51 passengers at departure. Another flight had zero passengers on board at gate closing time, and 90 minutes later, 12 passengers were yet to reach the gate,” the statement said.
One passenger whose family was among the 100 that missed their easyJet flight to Manchester on Sunday told the Liverpool Echo they were in one queue for three separate flights, with hundreds of people trying to get though. She said people were vomiting in the heat and ‘almost passing out’.
EasyJet said: “Due to delays in EES processing by border authorities, some passengers departing from Milan Linate yesterday experienced very long waiting times at passport control.
“We held flight EJU5420 from Milan to Manchester for nearly an hour to give passengers extra time but it had to then depart due to crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours. Customers who missed the flight have been offered a free flight transfer.
“We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.
“While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
ACI Europe and A4E said they will continue to monitor developments in the coming days, but added: “It is already evident that greater flexibility is immediately needed.
“Border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive. This is essential not only in the coming weeks, but throughout the peak summer travel season.
“Our support for the EES and its objectives is unwavering. However, strengthening border management must not come at the expense of operational efficiency or the passenger experience.
“Safeguarding Europe’s reputation as an accessible and well-functioning tourist and business destination is at stake, particularly as air travel is already facing significant disruption due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East.”
Advantage Travel Partnership CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “There are clearly still significant issues being faced at check points for travellers across the EU which have been causing long delays ever since it was first introduced.
“Due to ongoing IT issues, we have already seen the Eurotunnel, Eurostar and the Port of Dover all announce they will miss the EES deadline, and travellers will not be required to submit their biometrics until a later date.
“We think other major transport hubs should not be required to enforce EES if it will be the cause of considerable disruption for travellers.
“We have recommended proactively introducing a flexible suspension option during peak travel months to help manage operational pressures and ensure a smoother experience for travellers.
“This would allow authorities to properly assess operational pressures, ensure consistent readiness across member states, and increase staffing at key border points before scaling up further. We’re calling for clear communication to travellers and a coordinated strategy to ease pressure on the busiest entry points.”
At least one Eurostar departure, from London to Amsterdam, was delayed over the weekend as it took more than two hours to get passengers through the dual passport control. Travel Gossip Editor-in-Chief Linsey McNeill, who was in the queue, said: “There was no chaos, it was very well managed, but part of the problem was that there was no room in the terminal to get all the passengers through in time, so they held back the train.”
