Passengers at Brussels Airport faced significant delays on Monday, with some non-EU arrivals waiting up to four hours at passport control and departing passengers queuing for up to one hour.
The disruptions are linked to the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which records data on non-EU travellers entering and leaving the Schengen area. Although Belgium postponed the collection of biometric data in March to ease pressure on border controls, other EES procedures remain in force.
Problems have persisted for months, with airport officials warning that the system requires additional staffing and can create severe bottlenecks during busy travel periods. In May, Arnaud Feist described the situation as “completely unacceptable” and cautioned that continued delays could lead to “total chaos” during the summer travel season.
EU passengers were largely unaffected, experiencing passport control waits of only 10 to 15 minutes.