New EU border system tripling time at passport control, airport boss says

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. New EU border system tripling time at passport control, airport boss saysImage caption, People in queue for the Entry Exit System process after landing at Fuimicino Airport in Rome, Italy, in mid-JulyByKaty Austin Transport correspondentPublished12 minutes agoThe EU's new border system has nearly tripled the time it's taking for Brits to get through passport control even after improvements have been made, a boss at Rome's main airport has said. It comes as Ryanair has warned passengers travelling to Europe this summer to prepare for extended waits. Border police at Portugal's Faro airport also told the the Entry Exit System technology suffered from bugs, but insisted any queues there would go down quickly.

The European Commission (EC) has said in most EU airports disruption is limited, and added that it will continue to support member states in the system's implementation. It added: "This support will continue to the fullest extent possible. "The digital Entry Exit System (EES) requires non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area - made up of 29 European countries - to register fingerprints and a photo when they arrive.

The Details

The information is checked as they leave. It's often done using standalone, automated machines known as "kiosks" and sometimes with border officers - for example, for children under 12. The new process and machines have been phased in since October.

Some European airports have seen hours-long queues at passport control. Passengers have even reported missing flights home. This week, Ryanair said "the failed EES rollout" was causing unnecessary delays and long queues.

The airline said UK passengers should "allow extra time for their journey and be prepared for extended waits at passport control. "In Rome, a perennially popular destination for tourists from the UK and around the globe, everyone we spoke to in the Piazza di Spagna had an EES story. Image caption, Carl waited two hours to get through border control with young childrenCarl and his family travelled to Rome from Yorkshire.

What Experts Say

"It was two hours queuing, from getting off the plane to getting through with children. I knew it was going to be bad, but not as bad as that. " David, visiting from the US with his wife Marlo, said the queue took about an hour.

"We actually missed our car, our driver. "We met people who'd flown into other airports too. One group had landed in Barcelona before a cruise brought them to Rome.

Barry, from Bracknell, said passport control had taken 45-50 minutes because some machines weren't working. His friend Sarah, who'd arrived in Barcelona on a different flight, said passport control took nearly as long as the flight. "The queue was huge, nearly an hour… it was just slow".

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.