Ryanair has warned of possible "queue chaos" this summer at EU airports due to new fingerprint checks under the Entry/Exit System (EES). This is reported by UNN with reference to The Guardian.
The European Commission has invited aviation industry representatives to an emergency meeting next Tuesday to discuss concerns about the operation of the new system.
Details
Europe's largest airline Ryanair stated that passengers going on holiday this summer should not be used as "guinea pigs" for a system which, in the carrier's view, is not yet ready for peak loads.
Airlines for Europe and the Airports Council International have called on the European Commission to suspend the new border controls at least for July and August. At the same time, the industry does not rule out that full implementation of the system should be postponed until summer 2027.
Aviation industry representatives say airports may not be able to cope with the influx of passengers at the peak of the summer season. Among the main problems cited are long queues for fingerprinting, pressure on staff, cases of passenger aggression, and risks to the entire tourism industry.
Ryanair reported that it has already called for the system to be suspended until September in the most vulnerable countries. The airline claims that the current infrastructure is not ready to handle the large volumes of passenger traffic expected from mid-July.
According to the carrier, serious disruptions are already being recorded at seven airports. These are Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante and Malaga in Spain, Milan Bergamo in Italy, Krakow in Poland, and Paris Beauvais in France.
"It is clear that the Entry/Exit System is still not ready for peak summer passenger volumes. Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a raw passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer," said Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon.
Context
The EES system has been in development for about 10 years. Its goal is to give Schengen Area countries more information about who enters the EU and who leaves the bloc's territory.
The launch of EES was repeatedly delayed, but the system was eventually implemented last October. Member states were given the option to temporarily not apply it fully while the technology and logistics of biometric data collection are being tested.
Under EES rules, citizens of non-EU countries must register their fingerprints and facial image upon their first entry into the Schengen Area. Subsequently, this data will be checked during border control upon entry and exit.
Currently, only two EU countries have not implemented the system — Ireland and Cyprus.
What problems have already arisen with the EES system and why
The EU stated that airports may suspend EES checks in July and August if queues begin to form because of them. Officials also said that, if necessary, additional border guards could be deployed, as was already done at Lisbon airport.
According to the EU's assessment, a check takes on average about 70 seconds, and most airports are not facing serious problems. At the same time, the aviation industry insists that the situation is already creating significant operational pressure on border services, airports, and airlines.
In recent weeks, long queues have been reported at some airports, causing passengers to miss flights to the UK, and planes departing half-empty due to people being delayed at checkpoints.
The head of Berlin airport, Aletta von Massenbach, stated that citizens of non-EU countries may have to queue for up to two hours. In her words, such a situation "is not acceptable in summer."
Airlines for Europe, the Airports Council International, and the International Air Transport Association are expected to call on the European Commission to postpone the full implementation of EES until summer 2027.
Reminder
In 29 European countries, the Entry/Exit System (EES) has been introduced, changing border crossing rules for third-country nationals, including Ukrainians. It involves the abolition of passport stamps and a transition to digital registration using biometric data.