The EU Exit and Entry System (EES) is now being enforced at EU airports for UK holidaymakers
The EU Exit and Entry System (EES) is now being enforced at EU airports for UK holidaymakers(Image: tupungato via Getty Images)
Ryanair has urged authorities to abandon new regulations affecting British tourists travelling to Spain, Portugal and Italy. The European Union Exit and Entry System, known as EES, is now being implemented at EU airports for UK holidaymakers departing from Birmingham.
Passengers using Leeds Bradford Airport face the prospect of lengthy queues and disruption when they reach their holiday destinations. Greece, a favoured destination, has suspended the requirements for travellers after witnessing the chaos it created following its introduction on April 10.
Ryanair, which operates flights from LBA alongside competitors including Jet2, easyJet, TUI and others, has now called on the continent to take action and relax the new biometric regulations.
The airline’s chief operations officer Neal McMahon said: “Governments across Europe are attempting to roll out a half-baked IT system in the middle of the busiest travel season of the year, and passengers are paying the price, being forced to endure hours long passport control queues and in some cases, missing flights.
He went on: “The solution is simple and already provided for under EU law (EU Reg. 2025/1534) – Govts should suspend EES until September when the peak summer travel season has subsided, just as Greece has done. This would allow passengers – many of whom are travelling with young families – a smoother airport experience for their summer holidays.”
The Labour Party government warns: “EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”
The system has been devised to bolster border security across the EU and its surrounding nations, while also curbing illegal migration within the Schengen area. It streamlines border control procedures to assist the EU in preventing visitors from overstaying, according to further guidance published on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) website.