Non-EU passengers arriving at Brussels Airport last week faced waits of up to five hours at passport control, the airport confirmed on Monday. The worst delays occurred when multiple long-haul flights landed within a short window, overloading the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) kiosks and leaving Federal Police officers to process registrations manually. Since EES became mandatory for third-country nationals in April 2026, each first-time traveller must provide fingerprints and a facial image in addition to a passport scan. While the system promises stronger security and automated ‘over-stay’ alerts, it has proved resource-hungry: the airport says throughput at staffed booths can fall from 150 to 55 passengers per hour when kiosks freeze. Brussels Airport has added 12 extra booths and 61 self-service kiosks, but unions say at least 80 more police officers are needed to avoid chronic bottlenecks. The Interior Ministry plans an accelerated training course, yet the first cohort will not graduate until December. Tour operators and multinational travel managers report missed rail and connecting flights, with some companies now advising staff to schedule meetings a day after arrival to absorb potential delays. The Belgian Travel Confederation estimates lost productivity and rebooking costs at “several hundred thousand euros” for last week alone. The queues reignite industry calls for the Commission to grant member states flexibility in EES deployment. Belgium, France, the Netherlands and six other countries recently asked Brussels to allow temporary suspensions of biometric capture during peak surges until more staff and equipment are in place.
Source: Aviation24.be
