European airports 'unprepared for Entry-Exit scheme', Iata warns
Ilaria Grasso MacolaBritish travellers could face fresh delays and disruption later this year, with many European airports reportedly not ready for the rollout of the EU Entry-Exit system (EES).
According national media reports, the industry is worried European airports won’t have enough time or resources to operate the new system when it comes into force in the autumn, with non-EU travellers set to bear the brunt of the knock-on effects.
Rafael Schvartzman, Iata’s regional head for Europe, told The Telegraph there were “critical unresolved items” that needed fixing before the system is rolled out across the bloc.
“The industry is concerned there are critical unresolved items which will require urgent and coordinated action from both the EU and member states prior to its implementation,” he said.
Schvartzman also called for there to be a transition period to soften the impact of the EES on operations, and a helpline for airlines to assist travellers.
EES is an automated IT system which will register travellers from the UK and other non-EU (third) countries using biometric checks when they cross external EU borders.
Scheduled to start operating from autumn 2024, the system will replace passport stamping by registering a person’s details such as their name, travel document and biometric information.
The EES will be used alongside Etias – an Esta-style visa waiver scheme which, once implemented in mid-2025, will allow people from 60 visa-exempt nations such as the UK to stay in the EU for up to 90 days in a any given six-month period.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph further reports that more than a fifth of UK tourists have been put off heading to the continent because of the border changes, citing a study by Co-op Insurance, while 46% didn’t like the idea of their data remaining in the EU’s system for up to three years.
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