British holidaymakers heading to Europe couldfacesignificant queues atpassport controlthis summer. Officials have warned that anew border systemcould trigger hours-long queues and missed flights.
Airlines and airport chiefs say the EU’s new biometricEntry/Exit System(EES) is already causing major disruption and the worst is still to come when peak summer travel begins. Under the scheme, UK travellers must be fingerprinted and photographed when enteringthe Schengen zone, replacing passport stamps with digital records. But industry groups have now sounded the alarm after identifying three “critical problems” threatening holidays across the continent.
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Magnus Brunner, the EU commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, warned that non-EU citizens are already experiencing “persistent excessive waiting times of up to two hours” prior to the peak holiday season.
This could increase to as much as four hours during peak periods this summer.
In a letter jointly signed by Olivier Jankovec, director general of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe; Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines for Europe (A4E); and Thomas Reynaert, senior vice-president of the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
They warned: “There is a complete disconnect between the perception of the EU institutions that EES is working well, and the reality, which is that non-EU travellers are experiencing massive delays and inconvenience.”
Currently, only 35% of people are required to undergo checks, with authorities having the ability to turn off the system to ease overcrowding.
The letter added: “Failing immediate action to provide sufficient flexibility, severe disruptions over the peak summer months are a real prospect, with queues potentially reaching four hours or more.”
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
