'Not bearable' – Berlin airports inundated by EES delays
Passengers at Berlin's main airport are enduring queues that can stretch to two hours under the EU's new Entry‑Exit System (EES). Airport boss Aletta von Massenbach warned this would become worse as the summer holiday rush approaches.
A Berlin terminal used by Ryanair and Wizz Air reported waiting times that sometimes reach an hour, and in peak periods could rise to two.
EES, operational nationwide since April, requires non‑EU travellers to record biometric data when entering a Schengen free‑movement zone. The system is meant to modernise security and ease travel, but airports and airlines say it is not functioning as promised.
UK‑based airlines flag repeated failures and criticised the varied national systems that create contradictory workflows.
Passengers have reported missed flights and long travel times: a Berlin traveller said, I ended up in a 90‑minute queue just to get into Rome. Another, Anne Robinson of Dunbarton, had her family diverted to a boxy replacement flight £250 extra – a cost not covered by insurance.
In Brussels, an EU summit has been convened. The spokesperson for Berlin Airport said: I see now that we start to understand that this is a situation that is not bearable over the summer. Air transport lobby ACI Europe has warned that waiting times could reach five hours during peak traffic, potentially leaving gates with half‑empty flights.
European Commission officials say they are “making every effort to limit the impact” and that most airports currently have only modest delays, citing shortages of guards, infrastructure and automated equipment. The commission is urging member states to provide the necessary support while pilots and airlines push for practical interim solutions.
For now, the EES remains a promise of better security. Its current rollout, however, shows painful gaps that risk turning holiday travel into a distant dream.
