New EU system causes chaos at airports – what awaits Israelis

Israelis planning trips to Europe are advised to arrive at airports significantly earlier due to the implementation of the biometric EES system, which has caused chaos at passport control. At major EU airports – Madrid, Paris, Berlin – queues have grown sharply. Ryanair and Wizz Air warn that flights may depart without late passengers. In Toulouse, a plane to London left without 150 people.

Israelis planning trips to Europe are advised to arrive at airports significantly earlier due to new EU rules. In the midst of the summer tourist season, passengers at EU airports have faced a sharp increase in queues at passport control. One of the reasons cited is the introduction of the biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), which changes the procedure for checking travelers at the external borders of the Schengen area. The new system requires the registration of biometric data for citizens of non-EU countries when crossing the external border. Travelers must undergo facial photography and, in specified cases, fingerprint scanning. Against the backdrop of high passenger traffic, additional procedures increase the burden on border checkpoints. The situation is particularly difficult at major tourist airports: Madrid, Paris, Berlin, Lisbon, Athens, Krakow, and Budapest, as well as airports in popular resort regions. The situation is further complicated by technical glitches, insufficient capacity of some checkpoints, and staff shortages. Airlines are already warning tourists that being late to the boarding gate due to passport control queues does not automatically mean the plane will be delayed. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary warned that the carrier primarily focuses on passengers who have reached the boarding gate on time. The scale of the problem was demonstrated by a recent incident in French Toulouse: a plane to London departed without approximately 150 passengers who were unable to complete the necessary procedures in time. Wizz Air recommended that passengers arrive at the airport at least three hours before the scheduled departure. Airlines are calling on European authorities to provide more time for the full implementation of the system.