Trade battles EES anxiety as airport body warns situation ‘deteriorating’

Travel agents say they are still having to reassure and advise customers on border delays caused by the EU’s biometric Entry-Exist System (EES) as the European airports association warns of “deteriorating” situation.

 

The system is continuing to cause long waits at border control, with France suspending EES registration at the Port of Dover on Saturday after it led to hours-long queues.

 

Agents said clients were continuing to ask questions about EES more than six weeks after the system entered full operation on April 10.

 

Dawson & Sanderson commercial and corporate director Judith Alderson said: “Clients remain concerned about reports of queues at airports.”

 

She said agency staff were having to reassure customers about EES delays in addition to concerns about war in the Middle East and fuel shortages.

 

“We would like to see the travel industry come together and flood social media with all the positive messages such as ‘no surcharges’, ‘travel with confidence, ‘summer is on’ and more,” she added.

 

Travel by Hannah owner Hannah Porter said clients continued to raise specific concerns about EES but noted: “I would generally say they’re not put off [travel] but the questions indicate customers are more cautious generally when planning ahead.”

 

Fran Hurst, director of sales and operations at Bolsover Cruise Club, who reported EES continued to generate “occasional customer questions around border processing and airport delays”, agreed: “It is not currently proving to be a significant barrier to booking.”

 

She added customers were placing greater emphasis on flexibility, reassurance and travel insurance when booking.

 

Advantage Travel Partnership also cited members having to field questions and queries on EES but said members were “well placed” to support customers.

 

The Whitsun bank holiday marked the first peak travel period since the system launched last month, leading French authorities to temporarily suspend the system at Dover on Saturday following a request from the port with travellers facing delays of two and half hours to complete processing.

 

More than 84 self-service machines installed at Dover for registering biometric data – photo and fingerprints – remain out of use due to technical problems. Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said: “We’re all frustrated.”

 

European airports association ACI Europe reported “the situation is deteriorating”, telling Travel Weekly: "The queues are up to 3.5 hours at peak traffic times, according to a survey we conducted among 45 airports in 20 EU States on May 26.

 

"Airports which previously did not report excessive waiting times are now doing so despite the extensive use of partial suspension of EES."

 

Greece remains the only EU member state to suspend biometric registration for UK passport holders – a policy tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni confirmed this month and which industry figures say has significantly boosted bookings to Greece.

 

Advantage Travel Partnership chief executive Julia Lo-Bue-Said reported “a clear and consistent uplift in demand” for Greece last week. She called on the EC to “pause EES for the summer”, saying: “It’s going to be really difficult for some destinations to manage at pinch points.”

 

Association of Atol Companies advisor Alan Bowen agreed, saying: “An awful lot of last-minute holidays are available to everywhere but Greece.”

Travel Village Group chief executive Phil Nuttall said: “Greece has played a blinder.”

 

He added: “Of course there are examples of it working but you have to accept that small airports in the Med cannot and won’t ever be able to cope. You simply cannot have elderly people and families stood on the tarmac in 100 degree heat queueing to have their fingers scanned.”