"Arriving Three Hours Early at Airports? Not Enough" ... Six-Hour Delays at European Airports Explained

EU Biometric Entry Procedures in Disarray
Frequent Errors in Fingerprint and Facial Registration
Airport Wait Times Reach Up to Six Hours
Industry Calls for Temporary Suspension During Peak Season

The European Union (EU) has launched the new Entry Exit System (EES), resulting in severe congestion during immigration procedures at major airports. Getty Images

At airports, arriving three hours before departure is typically considered the "safe margin." However, this summer in Europe, even that may prove far from sufficient. The European Union (EU) has fully launched the new Entry Exit System (EES), causing severe congestion in immigration procedures at major airports. With demand for travel expected to surge ahead of the summer holiday season, some are calling for a temporary suspension of the system's implementation.

Kiosk Malfunctions and Repeated Inspections Cause 'Confusion'

According to the Financial Times (FT) on the 28th (local time), European airport operators are expressing concerns about massive congestion during the summer and have stated their position that the EES process should be temporarily omitted during peak season.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

The EES is a biometric border control system for registering fingerprints and facial data of non-EU nationals entering for short-term stays. It was introduced to improve border control efficiency and block illegal stays, moving away from the traditional manual checks and stamp-based procedures.

After pilot implementation in October last year and gradual expansion, the system was fully rolled out in April this year. However, unexpected bottlenecks have emerged at airports. Frequent errors with automated registration kiosks and cases where already-registered passengers are asked to undergo repeat checks have led to a sharp increase in wait times.

"Up to Six-Hour Waits"… Fears of Peak Season 'Chaos'

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that at some airports, immigration wait times could reach as much as six hours. The situation is expected to worsen during the summer peak, as large numbers of visitors from non-EU countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States are anticipated.

Marco Troncone, CEO of the company operating Rome Airport, said, "The current level of concern is extremely high," adding, "Given the volume of passengers during peak season, it is difficult to maintain the current system as it is." Among airport operators, there is growing support for temporarily easing or omitting the EES procedures during the busy summer period.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Pixabay

In fact, some airports have reportedly taken steps to partially suspend EES implementation or defer the process for passengers from certain countries to alleviate congestion.

Equipment and Staff Shortages… Structural Limitations Highlighted

Analysts point out that the confusion stems not only from technical defects but also from a lack of preparation. Some countries have faced delays in introducing equipment or updating software, resulting in systems that do not function properly.

Additionally, the use of different equipment and procedures in each country has led to varying operations at airports, further confusing travelers. Paradoxically, despite the introduction of automation, inadequate staffing has led to an increase in manual processing steps.

EU: "Impact of Pre-Existing Issues"… Responsibility Dispute

The European Commission maintains that the congestion is not solely caused by the EES itself. Authorities explain that existing structural factors—such as staff shortages at airports, infrastructure limitations, and concentration of flights at certain times—are the main causes of increased wait times. They also emphasize that, with the peak season approaching, some relief measures have been permitted, such as allowing more flexible application of biometric procedures for a limited period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.