The new, stricter EU identity checks are doubling waiting times for non-European travellers at Brussels Airport and other European airports this summer, resulting in hundreds of people missing their flights.
At Brussels Airport, the average peak waiting time – such as during the morning rush – is currently over two hours, compared to just over an hour last summer.
"At departures, waiting times are now around an hour; that figure was also lower last year," Quentin Mertens, spokesperson for Brussels Airport, told De Morgen.
The waiting times are so long that "several hundred passengers" have missed their flights since the introduction of the new European digital border registration system, the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Complete standstill
The EES requires more data from travellers than the photo comparison and stamp used in the past. Now, travellers are required to provide biometric information (such as fingerprints and facial scans), as well as their passport and other travel information, including their arrival and departure dates and places.
The system was introduced at the end of last year and has been fully operational since April. From the very beginning, however, there have been complaints of long waiting times.
Airlines have even called on the EU to "switch off" the system over the summer, stressing that major European airports are at risk of coming to a "complete standstill" due to the new checks.
The EES aims to keep better track of who is entering and leaving the 29 European countries in the Schengen zone (EU members minus Cyprus and Ireland, but including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
Passengers queue at passport control at Brussels Airport in Zaventem. Credit: Belga
When travellers cross borders, it is currently difficult to check whether they are exceeding the validity of their visa or the period for which they are legally permitted to stay in the EU.
Additionally, Europe's new system is building up an extensive database on travellers, following in the footsteps of the United States' ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) to some extent.
The long queues are causing a great deal of frustration amongst travellers. "We understand that perfectly. We are therefore doing everything we can to look after the travellers waiting in the queue, for example by handing out water and biscuits," Mertens said.
In addition to aviation police staff, personnel from other federal police services are also being deployed, along with 16 Frontex officers.
Taking measures
Brussels Airport has also set up two additional checkpoints and 60 pre-registration desks, where travellers can enter their details in advance. At peak times, fingerprint registration is suspended to reduce waiting times.
Belgium, together with other European countries, has asked the European Commission to extend this measure during periods of high demand beyond the summer period.
The British business newspaper the Financial Times reported this week that waiting times have also doubled at two of Europe's largest airports: Schiphol in the Netherlands and Frankfurt in Germany.
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