Berlin Airport Warns 2-Hour Non-EU Queues Will Worsen Under New EES

1 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 2

Up to two-hour waits are hitting non-EU arrivals at one Berlin terminal, and airport chief Aletta von Massenbach said the delays will be "not bearable" during the summer peak.
Since April, the EU's Entry-Exit System has required third-country travelers to register biometrics, but airports and airlines say fragmented national subsystems, faulty equipment and staffing gaps are slowing border processing.
ACI Europe told Ursula von der Leyen that peak-time border waits have reached as long as five hours, leaving passengers stuck in queues and airlines closing gates with seats still empty.
At Dover, 84 new kiosks for French border checks remain unused because the technology cannot be activated, while one UK traveler said 90-minute queues in Rome caused a missed flight and a £250 rebooking bill.
The European Commission says disruption is limited at most airports and has offered support, but carriers including Jet2 and airline groups are pressing for contingency measures or a rethink before the busiest six weeks.