British tourists could face ‘unacceptable’ six-hour waits at passport control in European airports because of new EU border checks, an airline body warned today.
Rafael Schvartzman, International Air Transport Association (Iata) vice-president for Europe, said the new Entry Exit System (EES) could create ‘challenging’ queues.
He explained that the checks, which came into force in April, had created a ‘hard risk’ of long queuing times that have already caused people to miss flights home.
The EES sees visitors from third-party countries such as the UK have their fingerprints registered and photographs taken to enter the free movement Schengen Area.
When someone leaves the area – made up of 29 European countries mainly in the EU – these details are checked, creating lengthy waits for returning passengers.
While some countries are postponing checks until September, others are creating a digital profile for travellers despite not yet taking their photos and fingerprints.
Mr Schvartzman said the system was not being implemented in the same way by each country, with some lacking the correct technology or enough staff at kiosks.
He said: ‘What we are seeing is a very hard risk of really challenging times or waiting times talking about expectations of three, four, five, six hours which is unacceptable. There are many cases where people have lost flights or their connectivity.’
A Ryanair flight from Toulouse to Stansted left without 150 people last month after they could not get to the gate in time due to border control staff shortages in France
Some 100 easyJet passengers travelling from Milan Linate Airport to Manchester at Easter were unable to board the flight on April 12 because of a three-hour wait at passport control
Mr Schvartzman added: ‘Without EES it takes between 20 and 25 seconds to process a passenger. With EES we are talking about 90 seconds and on top of that you still have issues with technology you can imagine what the breaking effect would be.’
At Iata’s annual conference, he also claimed some countries had been ‘trying to make an exception for the British but it is an effect of Brexit’, reported The Times.
He added that ‘every passenger should be treated the same’.
WizzAir has warned passengers to arrive at airports three hours before their flight back to Britain, while Ryanair has said planes will not wait for queueing passengers.
It comes after 100 easyJet passengers travelling from Milan to Manchester at Easter were unable to board the flight because of a three-hour wait at passport control.
And a Ryanair flight from Toulouse to Stansted left without 150 people last month after they could not get to the gate in time due to border control staff shortages.
A spokesman for the Airlines UK trade body said: ‘European countries must take a pragmatic approach and make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid border delays for passengers.’
A survey last month found nearly three out of five (59 per cent) UK holidaymakers travelling to Europe this year expect delays linked to the EES.
Almost half of respondents to the poll commissioned by travel company Booking.com said they fear missing flights because of the border checks.
Rafael Schvartzman, International Air Transport Association vice-president for Europe, said the new Entry Exit System could create ‘challenging’ queues at border control
Representative body Airports Council International has reported that EES was already causing delays of up to three hours, with airports in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy among the worst affected.
The survey indicated that 56 per cent of UK travellers plan to arrive at airports earlier than usual in an attempt to avoid disruption, with 12 per cent intending to arrive at least four hours before departure.
Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, reported that demand for holidays in Greece had surged since the country revealed on April 17 it will not impose EES requirements on UK travellers this summer.
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EES was first introduced in October last year, with its roll out ramped up on April 10.
Separately the head of the IATA, Willie Walsh, warned soaring jet fuel prices driven by conflict in the Middle East are likely to push more airlines into bankruptcy and spur more sector consolidation this year and next.
Global airlines are grappling with higher fuel costs driven by the US and Israel’s war with Iran, which has choked jet fuel supplies and disrupted key air corridors, forcing costly detours.
Budget carriers have been among the hardest hit, lacking higher margin revenue streams such as premium cabins, high-paying travellers and credit card loyalty programmes.
Mr Walsh said at the Iata summit: ‘Unfortunately, I think there will be some carriers that will find this high fuel price very difficult to cope with.’
US budget airline Spirit Airlines collapsed last month, and Mr Walsh said he expects some airlines to go out of business and others to be acquired by larger carriers.
