The new European Union Entry/Exit System - EES. Photo: Shutterstock Border control congestion in Europe continues, and aviation organizations are demanding that the European Commission and EU countries take structural measures to improve the operation of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES). According to a joint statement by the European Airports Association (ACI EUROPE) and Airlines for Europe (A4E), waiting times can reach up to five hours at peak times in extreme cases, and often exceed two hours.
The organizations warn that the delays are causing passengers to miss flights and connections, creating unusual congestion at terminals and burdening airline employees, airports and border control forces.
They say the problems persist despite the authorities' efforts, due in part to a shortage of personnel, instability in computer systems, and limited use of self-service kiosks and automatic checkpoints. The organizations offer six points, or if you prefer, six steps, to improve the system.
1. Elimination of duplicate tests
Reducing the need to re-verify data for passengers re-entering Schengen countries to shorten the border control process.
2. Streamlining biometric testing
Adapting biometric verification processes to reduce processing times for each passenger. Currently, this process can take a long time, especially for "less technologically savvy passengers."
3. Preventing the creation of duplicate profiles
Improving the current system to prevent re-registration of passengers for whom an EES profile already exists.
4. Upgrading the Travel to Europe app
Expanding the capabilities of the application and online portal, with the aim of enabling more efficient early registration of passenger data.
5. Accelerating the use of automated border controls
Expanding the deployment and use of automatic gates for citizens from countries that are not members of the European Union, while creating uniformity between countries.
6. Restoring flexibility in operating the system
Providing the option to partially suspend biometric data registration during exceptional waiting times, as a permanent mechanism for dealing with overloads.
ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec and A4E Director General Ourania Georgoutsakou stressed that while the system has strengthened the security of Europe's borders, it still does not provide the efficient passage promised to passengers.
The two called on the European Commission and member states to implement the recommendations as soon as possible and in cooperation with the aviation industry, and warned that it is not possible to continue to be satisfied with spot-fixing queues instead of solving the structural failures in the syste