SOME smaller airports in Europe are warning they won’t be able to cope with the new entry rules during the busy summers.
The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), fully introduced back in April, has been causing havoc with passengers missing their flights and having to wait hours in airport queues.
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New European travel rules are causing chaos Credit: Getty
According to Financial Times, Greek airports chief, Alexander Zinell, said the border check system needs a complete overhaul and if not, the current long waits and passengers missing flights could go on for years.
He also warned that his airports were “not equipped” to deal with small numbers of passengers in the winter which then jumps to millions in the peak summer period.
He warned: “Our facilities are designed for typical standard processing times.
“If you quadruple the average time, it means you need four times the space.”
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He added it was “absurd” for airports to have to build more buildings just for the new system to be introduced., as some airports have been forced to add tents for travellers waiting outside.
The new warnings come as Ryanair named and shamed airports across Europe last week where long queues are common.
At the time, the airline said that these airports are “not ready” to manage large numbers of people this summer, as they don’t have the staff, kiosks or “system readiness”.
These are:
Tenerife South
Palma
Alicante
Malaga
Milan Bergamo
Krakow
Paris Beauvais
The new rules mean that all Brits seeking sunshine and relaxation this summer are forced to have their fingerprints scanned and their photo taken before entering any of the 29 Schengen zone countries.
Europe’s Entry/Exit System was introduced back in April and requires Brits to scan their fingerprints and have their photo taken when they enter the Schengen area Credit: Getty
You only have to register once, but the new system has been causing lengthy queues at airports Credit: Reuters
While you only have to register once, a part of the problem across Europe so far is non-registered and registered travellers being merged into one line, causing hours of waiting.
Zinell added that the pause is the only thing stopping the system from collapsing.
He said: “It needs a new version, an update, and probably a reconfiguration in order to allow people to register before they fly, before they get on a plane, before they go to the airport.”
He explained that it isn’t just this summer that is a worry, but also the summers ahead.
The warning comes as the UK Government has also urged France to “prioritise flow” during the peak summer holiday period.
However, the EU has rejected calls from both airlines and airport groups to suspend EES until September.
Home Office minister Alex Norris said: “When you get to peak volume … the volumes that are coming shortly, it fundamentally comes down to a question of a prioritisation of flow or prioritisation of compliance with the scheme itself.
“We push very heavily, we will do every day between now and then… to make sure that the French use flexibilities available to prioritise flow.”
Now, a Greek airports boss is warning that the system could collapse Credit: Getty
And the UK Government are urging France to “prioritise flow” Credit: AFP
The boss at the Port of Dover also said that there will be “repeated episodes of severe congestion” throughout this summer, if there isn’t more flexibility with EES.
CEO of Port of Dover, Doug Bannister added that the queuing cars will be “spilling out of the port onto the public highway for miles”.
It comes after queues at the port reached four-and-a-half hours during the May half-term.
Shadow Home Office minister Matt Vickers added that there is a “delusional attitude among EU colleagues” that “EES is working just fine”.
Vickers continued: “The Government must stand behind the interests of British travellers.”
