EU Entry-Exit System Triples Border Waits to 20 Minutes as Rome Airport Urges Urgent Fixes
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 19
EU Entry-Exit System Triples Border Waits to 20 Minutes as Rome Airport Urges Urgent Fixes
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 19
Summary
Rome's Fiumicino airport said the EU's Entry Exit System has pushed UK passengers' border-processing time to 20 minutes from seven, even after shifting some biometric registration to e-gates.
The delays stem from EES rules requiring non-EU travelers to give fingerprints and a photo on entry, a process airport officials say still duplicates steps despite €12 million spent on standalone kiosks.
Ryanair has warned passengers to expect extended waits this summer, while travelers in Rome described queues of 45 minutes to two hours and some missed onward transport or flights.
Faro border police said EES bugs and wider EU server crashes can turn a 10-minute queue into more than 30 minutes, though they said hour-plus waits are rare and becoming less frequent.
The European Commission said disruption remains limited at most EU airports and is continuing support, but airports and airlines are still pressing for easier suspension of the system during peak periods.