Brussels Airport will add eight manual border-control positions for arriving passengers by the end of 2026 and install six additional electronic gates in early 2027, as long waiting times linked to the European Entry/Exit System (EES) continue to disrupt passenger flows. The latest investment comes despite an earlier expansion of border-control infrastructure, with the airport saying that processing times under the new system remain significantly longer than anticipated. Brussels Airport is also pointing to unresolved technical problems affecting government-supplied registration equipment and calling for further action by European authorities.
The EES introduces digital registration of non-EU nationals travelling into and out of the Schengen Area, including the collection of facial images and fingerprints. According to Brussels Airport, the additional procedures have substantially increased the time required to process arriving passengers. During morning peak periods, the average processing time for each arriving visa passenger is now two to three times longer than before the system’s introduction. The airport says this has resulted in long queues at border control, with waiting times of two to four hours regularly reported at airports across Europe. After a slight improvement in August, waiting times at Brussels Airport increased again in September as biometric registration activity rose.
The airport had already increased the number of manual border-control positions by 20 per cent at arrivals and 25 per cent at departures during 2025, ahead of the EES rollout. These increases exceeded passenger traffic growth, but have proved insufficient to offset the longer processing times. The eight additional positions planned for December will increase arrival border-control capacity by 66 per cent, according to the airport. This means manual capacity at arrivals will have doubled within 12 months. The airport says the new positions must still be brought into operation in consultation with the authorities and other partners involved.
A further six electronic gates, ordered from the Federal Police in May 2026 and scheduled for delivery in early 2027, are expected to increase e-gate capacity at arrivals by 50 per cent. However, access to automated border checks remains restricted for some non-European travellers. Certain nationalities that could previously use e-gates are no longer eligible to do so under the new procedures, while other passengers must first complete EES registration.
Government registration technology still not operational
One of the more significant problems highlighted by Brussels Airport concerns 60 pre-registration kiosks purchased last year to help travellers complete EES registration before reaching a manual border-control desk. The kiosks were intended to reduce the workload at staffed counters and allow eligible non-EU nationals to use electronic gates.
Although the competent authorities decided before the summer that travellers from certain non-European countries could use the system, Brussels Airport says technical problems involving government suppliers mean the kiosks are still not operational. The airport expects the technology to help reduce queues, particularly for departing passengers, once it becomes available. On arrival, however, access to e-gates remains limited to certain nationalities and travellers already registered in the EES.
Airport calls for changes at European level
Brussels Airport is also calling for improvements to the implementation of the EES at European level, backing demands from Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) and Airlines for Europe. Proposed measures include optimising biometric checks and introducing a widely available application through which travellers could register in advance. Brussels Airport says only Sweden and Portugal currently offer such an application, and that a suitable solution should also be available in Belgium.
The airport further argues that authorities should retain sufficient flexibility to respond when queues become excessive. One measure it supports is the temporary suspension of biometric registration during periods of severe congestion, while maintaining the necessary security checks.
The expansion plans underline the operational challenge facing Brussels Airport as the EES becomes part of routine border processing. While additional counters and electronic gates should increase capacity, the airport’s own assessment indicates that infrastructure alone will not resolve the problem. The timely introduction of the delayed registration technology, wider access to automated checks and changes to the system’s implementation will also be necessary if waiting times are to return to acceptable levels.
Brussels Airport says it is working with the relevant authorities and government departments through a dedicated steering group, with the stated objective of maintaining secure and accurate border checks while reducing delays for passengers.