Airports across Europe are experiencing significant disruptions and lengthy queues, primarily affecting British travelers, following the implementation of new EU border control rules. Reports from airports in Corfu, Faro, Tivat, and Kos detail hours-long waits for passport checks, with queues at times extending outside terminal buildings and into parking areas.
One traveler at Corfu Airport shared footage of a long line waiting on the pavement, noting they were still queuing with just over an hour until their flight. Videos from Faro Airport in Portugal and Tivat Airport in Montenegro also depicted extensive lines, with one caption warning travelers to 'be prepared.' At Kos Airport in Greece, a woman documented her experience of waiting in line for over two hours, from 12:30 p.m. until after 2 p.m.
Ivan Bassato, head of aviation at Rome's Fiumicino airport, told the BBC that the EU's new Entry Exit System (EES) has nearly tripled the average time it takes for Britons to pass through passport control, increasing it from seven to 20 minutes. He stated that the current process quality is not comparable to pre-EES levels and that self-service kiosks have proven impractical for managing large passenger volumes.
Officials at Portugal's Faro Airport acknowledged that the technology supporting the EES has encountered bugs. Superintendent Pedro Oliveira described how queues that previously took around 10 minutes can now extend over 30 minutes, although the airport maintains that wait times are expected to decrease.
These new border regulations have added to the challenges faced by travelers during the busy summer getaway period, leading to widespread frustration and significant delays.