Airports and airlines want the new European border control system, the Entry/Exit System (EES), to be suspended as a precautionary measure if queues become too long this summer.
They made this request on Wednesday in an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Last autumn, the European Union launched the EES to monitor passengers entering the Schengen area. Among other things, this involves collecting their biometric data (fingerprints and a facial scan).
For months now, this has been leading to long queues at many airports. According to the sector, queues can reach up to five hours at peak times.
"We have now reached a critical point," the airlines and airports warned on Wednesday in their letter to von der Leyen.
Unbearable pressure
The introduction of the EES is causing disruptions for passengers and is putting border guards, airlines and airports "under unbearable pressure".
"We therefore urge you to take immediate action before the situation deteriorates further during the busy summer season," the letter stated.
The airlines and airports point out that Member States have made extensive use of the option to suspend the collection of biometric data until early September, but they argue that this flexibility has failed to prevent the "excessive" queues and the strain on their operations.
Additionally, airports are set to handle a further 40 million passengers in July and August compared with the previous two months.
They are therefore calling for the entire EES to be suspended as a precautionary measure this summer "whenever passenger numbers exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities".
In response, a Commission spokesperson pointed out that the EES was launched after all Member States had indicated they were ready. According to him, the impact at most airports is also "limited".
Illustrative image of passengers at Brussels Airport in Zaventem. Credit: Belga/Jasper Jacobs
Nevertheless, the Commission continues to offer support to Member States struggling with operational capacity as they introduce the new system, he assured.
"And we are prepared to do even more over the coming summer period," said the spokesperson, who announced that a new meeting with industry representatives would be held in the coming days.
At Brussels Airport, which is expecting more than 5 million passengers in July and August, the new system has already led to interminable queues as well.
The airport is preparing for this with, among other measures, two additional border control points for departures and sixty kiosks for EES registration.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) has also promised that the federal police will staff the checkpoints at the airports to the maximum this summer.
