Brussels Airport has called on Belgian authorities to push for greater flexibility in the implementation of the new European Entry/Exit System (EES), warning that the current rollout is already causing major disruption for passengers.
The airport welcomed the recent decision to postpone the registration of biometric data, after waiting times for non-EU passengers surged to up to two hours at departure and more than three hours on arrival. Over the past four days alone, nearly 600 passengers missed their flights, while cumulative delays reached 21 hours.
Despite the temporary easing, the situation remains strained. As of 30 March, all passengers must now be registered in the EES, even without biometric data. Waiting times this morning still reached up to one hour at departure and nearly two hours on arrival.
A key issue is the suspension of e-gate access for travellers from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore, forcing all non-EU passengers through manual border checks and significantly slowing processing times.
Brussels Airport is therefore urging the Belgian government to advocate at European level for a more gradual and operationally feasible rollout of the system, particularly ahead of the busy summer season. It is also calling for the rapid reintroduction of e-gate access for certain third-country nationals and full staffing of border control posts by the federal police.
While the airport acknowledged the efforts of the authorities, it warned that without additional measures, the risk of further delays, missed flights and operational disruption remains high.
The latest issues once again highlight ongoing pressure on border control operations at Brussels Airport, which in recent years have frequently been criticised over long queues and staffing shortages.