Brussels Airport has called for greater flexibility in the implementation of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), citing significant delays and disruption to passengers.
The airport said it welcomed the recent decision to postpone the registration of biometric data under the system, after waiting times for non-EU passengers reached up to two hours at departure and more than three hours at arrival.
Over a four-day period, nearly 600 passengers missed their flights due to delays at border control, with total disruption amounting to 21 hours. At the time, only 60% of passengers were being processed through the system with partial biometric registration.
Despite the postponement, the airport said delays remain an issue. Since March 30, all passengers have been required to register in the EES, even without biometric data collection. Waiting times have continued to reach up to one hour at departure and nearly two hours at arrival.
Brussels Airport said the longer processing times per passenger, combined with changes to border procedures, are contributing to the delays. Travelers from countries including the USA, the UK, Canada and Singapore are currently unable to use e-gates and must instead pass through staffed border control counters.
The airport is urging the Belgian government to raise the issue with the European Commission and push for a more flexible rollout of the system, particularly ahead of the summer travel season.
It said the system should be fully operational and capable of handling passenger volumes before being implemented at scale. The airport also called for the reinstatement of e-gate access for certain non-EU passengers as soon as possible.
In addition, Brussels Airport highlighted the need for full staffing of border control posts by federal police to maintain passenger flow.
The airport said efficient border control is essential not only for security but also for maintaining operational performance and its role as an international hub, adding that further measures are needed to avoid continued disruption in the coming months.
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