Real-time analytics platform Qsensor reported a remarkably low average security wait of just one minute at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) at 16:02 CEST on 4 October. The figure represents a 50 % drop compared with the same time on Saturday and follows the airport’s weekend trial of new ‘EES Lite’ tablet scanners that pre-capture passport MRZ data while passengers queue. ADP Group, which operates CDG, rolled out the mobile units in Terminals 2E and 2F after data showed that travellers unfamiliar with the EU’s Entry-Exit System were causing micro-bottlenecks at the e-gates. By moving document capture upstream, security lanes processed 240 passengers per hour instead of the usual 180, according to an internal briefing seen by industry consultants HubVisor. Business travellers transiting to early-evening North-American banks of flights particularly benefited, with several airlines reporting on-time departures despite higher-than-forecast load factors linked to Paris Fashion Week. Experts caution that today’s low waits may not last. Public-sector unions have threatened spot actions at border-police posts later in the month, and traffic will surge again when the autumn school holidays begin on 17 October. Nevertheless, the pilot demonstrates how minor workflow tweaks can offset some of the friction introduced by EES. Passengers can check live wait times via Qsensor’s web portal or through the Bonjour RATP app, which now integrates airport data feeds. Frequent flyers should still allow at least 90 minutes from curb to gate during peak periods until EES familiarisation improves.
Source: Qsensor
