Wait times at European borders could worsen as a new rule is rolled out in September.
Borders across the EU have experienced long queues since April when new Entry/Exit System (EES) was fully rolled out. The ESS applies to all Brits entering Europe.
Travellers must register upon their first entry to a Schengen country. This requires their photographs and fingerprints to be taken.
This process has been caused long delays at border control across European airports, with some travellers waiting hours and others missing their flights.
Travellers must register upon their first entry to a Schengen country -Credit:Getty
From September 6, a flexibility allowance introduced across Europe is due to expire.
Presently, EU member states are allowed to pause EES checks in “exceptional circumstances”. This includes when queues become too long.
The EU border security agency Frontex has said that the flexibility will not be renewed in September, despite calls from industry bodies to allow the renewal.
Countries could again see long queues at airports when flexibility expires.
At some airports, the machines are required to be restarted when they become overwhelmed.
Air France-KLM told Politico : “When lines form during the busy summer months, the system is shut off to ensure smooth transit at our hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.”
Other hubs, such as Brussels Airport, that have reported problems with the technology where the system is still not fully operational.
Other issues with the new system have emerged including taking the fingerprints of the elderly.
Last month, the head of Ryanair has criticised the EU’s rules.
Ryanair has told passengers it will not wait for them -Credit:Placebo365/Getty
Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast, however, Michael O’Leary said it was still down to passengers to leave enough time to get to their boarding gate, or risk being left behind.
“We will not wait for anybody,” he said.
“Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts.
“If you’re not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you.”
Hundreds of travellers on a range of airlines have missed planes since April, including Ryanair who watched their flights take off without them because of extreme delays at passport control.