UK TRAVELLERS risk being stuck on planes after arriving at European airports once enhanced border checks are introduced, the boss of easyJet said.
Chief executive Johan Lundgren said airlines being unable to disembark passengers and others unable to board because of congested terminal buildings is a “worst case” consequence of the Entry/Exit System (EES).
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The new system is meant to be launching around November 10 but the EU has yet to confirm if this will actually happen with a further update is expected to be made on Thursday.
Under EES, travellers from non-EU countries such as the UK will need to have their fingerprints scanned and a biometric image of their eye taken.
This will register them on a database when they enter a member state, with the data stored for three years.
There are fears this will spark queues at EU airports, as well as the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel’s terminal in Folkestone and London’s St Pancras railway station, where French border checks are carried out before people embark on cross-Channel journeys.
In an interview at the annual convention of travel trade organisation Abta in Costa Navarino, Greece, Mr Lundgren said it is possible EES will cause airport terminals to be congested with arriving passengers waiting to be processed, leaving no room for additional travellers.
“In the worst case you actually can’t disembark, you hold people on the plane,” Mr Lundgren warned.
He said: “We have to think about what can actually happen.”
Mr Lundgren predicted “there will be some disruption” from EES as “it is a new procedure”.
He called for the launch to be further delayed unless it is possible for travellers to pre-register before beginning their journeys.
He added: “We have been clear – if the EU is not ready, change the date.”
A mobile app enabling this to happen is still being developed by the EU.
Neil Swanson, who was appointed UK and Ireland managing director for tour operator Tui last month, predicted there “could be some hiccups” with EES.
He has urged the Government to take more action to ensure holidaymakers are prepared.
He said: “We will absolutely be looking after our customers, we will be making sure they’re aware.
“But I think the Government should be doing a bit more as well to make sure that everyone’s aware of what the situation is.”
Worries about chaos at airports has seen travel association ABTA brief their members.
My view on what this means for your travel
Head of Travel Lisa Minot weighs in further on what EES will mean for you
SPEAKING to the bosses of easyJet and TUI at the ABTA travel convention this week, it was obvious to me there is a huge frustration at the chaotic roll-out of the new EU Entry Exit System.
Delayed multiple times, it was meant to be launching on November 10 but even that is not yet confirmed.
In recent weeks, France, Germany and the Netherlands all indicated they were not ready to launch the new system.
Airports, ferry terminals and the entire travel industry are desperate for clarity. They’ve invested millions in new infrastructure, they want to put plans in place to counter any disruption that could inevitably happen.
An app to allow visitors to pre-register their details before they even get to a border was meant to launch at the same time as the new system.
Yet it seems the app itself will not be ready until next summer.
EasyJet boss Johan told me: “We should have had the ability to do pre-registration from the very start of the new system.”
And the chaos isn’t helped by the fact that individual EU member states are all interpreting the new system in different ways.
What British travellers – and the industry as a whole – need is a clear indication of when the ESS will start and just how it will work.
Chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “It’s frustrating that there will be delays for customers. Nobody wants that.
“Because we haven’t had a clear date for when this is going to commence, we haven’t really been able to start detailed communication yet.”
His views were echoed by ABTA’s director of public affairs, Luke Petherbrige, who felt that the constant delays and changing of dates has led to confusion for holidaymakers.
He said: “There is still a fair way to go before the majority of travellers fully understand how the new EU Entry/Exit System will change their passport control experience when travelling to Europe.
“That’s perhaps unsurprising given that we’re waiting for official confirmation of when the scheme will go live. It’s difficult to talk to a customer about a new system without knowing if it will actually be in place for their holiday.
“So, we are urging the EU to provide clarity on when EES will go live, and to make sure the changes are clearly communicated to consumers.
In August, the Department for Transport announced £10.5 million of funding for UK ports where juxtaposed border checks are conducted to support new facilities and technology to deal with EES.
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