UK travellers entering EU countries could risk being stuck on planes amid significant delays due to a new system.
Johan Lundgren, the chief executive of easyJet, has warned that enhanced border checks upon arrival at European airports could cause chaos.
The system, which includes fingerprinting and photographing travellers from non-EU countries, is expected to create long queues at various entry points.
Concerns are mounting about potential congestion at EU airports, the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel's Folkestone terminal, and London's St Pancras railway station when it launches on November 10.
Industry leaders are calling for better preparation and communication to mitigate the impact on UK holidaymakers, who remain largely unaware of the impending changes.
The EES, initially proposed in 2016, has faced multiple delays but is now slated for implementation.
Under this system, non-EU travellers, including those from the UK, will have their fingerprints scanned and photographs taken upon entry to EU member states.
This data will be stored for three years in a centralised database.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- EU nations introduce tough new plans to forcibly return illegal migrants
- Thousands of protesters gather for EU's 'anti-migrant Glastonbury' as they cheer for Geert Wilders and Viktor Orban
- EU tells Starmer to accept tens of thousands of migrants a year to secure PM's 'relations reset'
Lundgren expressed concerns about potential airport congestion, he said: "In the worst case you actually can't disembark, you hold people on the plane."
The easyJet CEO called for further postponement of the EES launch unless pre-registration options become available. An EU mobile app for this purpose is currently in development, but its completion timeline remains unclear.
Neil Swanson, the recently appointed UK and Ireland managing director for tour operator Tui, echoed concerns about potential "hiccups" with the EES implementation.
He urged the Government to ensure holidaymakers are adequately prepared for the changes.
"We will absolutely be looking after our customers, we will be making sure they're aware," Swanson said.
"But I think the Government should be doing a bit more as well to make sure that everyone's aware of what the situation is."
Mark Tanzer, Abta's chief executive, acknowledged the lack of public awareness about EES, describing it as "frustrating" that customers may face delays.
Tanzer said: "Because we haven't had a clear date for when this is going to commence, we haven't really been able to start detailed communication yet."
In response to these challenges, the Department for Transport announced £10.5million in funding for UK ports with juxtaposed border checks.
This investment aims to support new facilities and technology to manage EES requirements.
However, industry leaders stress the need for more proactive measures - with the November 10 implementation date approaching, there is growing pressure on both the government and travel industry to launch comprehensive information campaigns.
Find Out More...
