Spain’s Palma de Mallorca airport has opened exclusive biometric-registration lanes for British travellers on the eve of the EU Entry/Exit System’s full launch. Airport operator Aena confirmed that new kiosks and additional Guardia Civil officers were deployed after trial runs showed first-time EES enrolments could last several minutes per passenger. The Balearic Islands welcome more than six million UK visitors a year, making them a test case for how tourist hotspots will cope with the extra border-processing time required by EES. Local hotel and airline associations warned that early-season queues risk damaging the islands’ image; some forecast waits of “several hours” during the Easter peak if mitigations were not in place. By funnelling UK nationals—who make up the largest single group of “third-country” arrivals—into bespoke lanes, Palma hopes to reduce congestion for both EU and non-EU passengers. Tour operators TUI and Jet2 have told customers to arrive at least three hours before departure until the system beds in. From a corporate-mobility perspective, the move illustrates how EU states may tailor procedures to high-volume UK flows. Business-travel managers operating incentive trips or conferences in Spain should brief delegates on the new process and consider arranging fast-track services where available. The Balearic government is monitoring average processing times daily; if the dedicated-lane model proves effective it could be rolled out at Málaga, Alicante and Barcelona ahead of the main summer season.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin
