Reporting from Brussels, Anadolu Agency confirmed that passenger disruption on the first day of the new Entry/Exit System prompted an unusual show of unity between airport operators and airlines. ACI Europe and A4E reiterated calls for an ‘‘emergency brake’’ after flights departed Brussels Airport with large numbers of ticketed passengers stuck in biometric-enrolment lines. One UK-bound flight reportedly left 51 travellers behind; another had no passengers boarded at scheduled push-back. Belgium’s role as host to both associations gives their plea extra political weight. With the European Commission and Parliament literally next door, lobbyists are pressing for amendments that would permit full suspension of EES when wait times exceed two hours—a figure that was regularly breached on 10 April. The Turkish newswire quotes ACI’s Olivier Jankovec warning that without rapid tweaks the summer peak could become ‘‘a perfect storm’’ of record demand and slow processing. Belgian tour operators fear knock-on effects on the country’s conference-and-events market, a pillar of the Brussels regional economy. From a mobility-compliance angle the episode underscores the importance of real-time traveller tracking and proactive re-booking policies. Employers whose travellers miss flights because of EES queues may face duty-of-care claims if trip-briefing materials were out of date.
Source: Anadolu Agency
