Rome's Fiumicino Airport has warned that it may be forced to shut down the EU's new digital border control system temporarily this summer due to predicted travel chaos. The biometric Entry-Exit System (EES) has already caused lengthy queues and missed flights, and airport officials fear that even more passengers will be affected as tourism peaks.
According to Marco Troncone, chief executive of Aeroporti di Roma, the system is incompatible with the expected volumes of travellers. He expressed deep concern about the situation, rating his worry 'eight or nine' out of ten. The EES requires non-EU citizens to provide fingerprints and facial images upon their initial entry into the EU.
British holidaymakers have already faced substantial delays in various EU countries. In May, French police suspended additional checks at the port of Dover due to congestion. Greece had initially exempted UK travellers from biometric checks until September but later withdrew this promise. A recurring issue is that passengers who have previously completed the EES process are frequently required to undergo the checks again, exacerbating delays.
EU airport leaders and industry experts have raised concerns about the system's effectiveness. Stefan Schulte, president of ACI Europe, has urged individual EU governments to consider suspending the system, while the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that queueing times could reach six hours this summer, with waits of up to three-and-a-half hours already observed during peak periods.
Uku Särekanno, deputy executive director of Frontex, has suggested that the situation may not stabilise for up to two years. This long-term outlook underscores the systemic challenges facing the new border control mechanism and its potential impact on millions of travellers, particularly those from the UK who frequently visit EU destinations.
Practical advice for UK travellers:
British citizens travelling to the EU are now subject to the EES. Upon your first visit, you will need to have your fingerprints and facial images recorded. This process can add significant time to your journey, so arrive at the airport or port well in advance of your scheduled departure.
The European Commission has acknowledged that the system possesses 'built-in flexibility' that permits certain functions to be paused, but it remains unclear whether this will happen in Rome and other airports.