EES rollout continues to gridlock Spanish airports with scenes of chaos spotted at Tenerife South Airport.
Departures and arrivals at the terminal saw long queues and heavy congestion on Friday as testing of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) for non-European Union travellers continues.
Lines of passengers throughout the arrival areas caused frustration among passengers who were forced to stand for hours in queues as they waited to complete the new biometric passport process.
The new EES rollout collects fingerprints, facial images, and passport information of travellers who are not members of the European Union – the aim is that it will gradually replace manual passport stamping.
By the 10th April next year, the system will have been rolled out across Spain, according to the Spain’s Ministry of the Interior.
Until then automated checks will run alongside the traditional system meaning that delays like those seen at Tenerife South are likely to continue for months, especially at peak times.
Delays in Tenerife South are, however, not new – local authorities and tourists alike have repeatedly raised concerns about saturation in the airport’s arrival hall.
People have reported lengthy wait times, busy hallways and a crammed passport-control area.
As the rollout of EES continues, local authorities and the British Embassy have encouraged passengers to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to avoid missing flights.
Click here to read more Travel News from The Olive Press.
