Airport boss blasts EU border control chaos – ‘stop pretending it’s working'

A furious airport boss has skewered the European Union's new border system and says it is simply not working. The Entry-Exit System (EES) will require travellers outside of the EU to register biometric information when entering most European countries. This is then checked when they leave and while the system has been working in some countries, it has been blamed for significant delays at several airports.

The time taken to take the biometric scans has left some passengers missing their flights. Stefan Schulte, president of ACI Europe has since ripped into EU politicians and called for them to "stop pretending" the process is working for passengers.

Schulte, who is also head of the company that owns Frankfurt Airport, told an industry event in Prague said that politicians should "stop pretending... that EES is working just fine. It is not."

He continued: "Passengers are queueing for hours at peak traffic times and I just do not know how we will be able to cope in the coming weeks with the expected increase in traffic.

"We urgently need full flexibility for border control authorities to suspend the EES whenever needed to avoid further chaos – along with a rethink of those processes. This is about showing respect and decency for those who chose to travel to the EU, and safeguarding our reputation as a welcoming and efficient destination."

The EES system will be suspended in some circumstances until September, the European Commission has confirmed. But Schulte, speaking with the BBC, says the suspension does not go far enough and that it could lead to the "complete collapse" of the current system.

Some countries have confirmed Brit passengers would not face extra delays or biometric checks. Greece's tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni confirmed those travelling to the country would not face checks.

Portugal and Italy are reportedly considering exemption status for Brits travelling abroad though the European Commission claims there are no such plans in place for either country to do so.