GRAN Canaria Airport has been hit by huge queues as the peak travel season gets under way, with new biometric machines adding to delays at border control.

Passengers at the airport, where around 16 million travellers pass through each year, are facing queues of up to three hours at passport control.

Since its rollout, the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has triggered widespread delays at major European airports for British and other non-EU nationals. 

The introduction of biometric scanners across all EU external borders on 10 April has added to disruption in the Canary Islands, despite being designed to streamline the process.

READ MORE: Brussels blocks Italy and Portugal from following Greece and suspending EES in blow to British holidaymakers

Despite their €395 million price tag, faults in the new machines have compounded travel chaos. 

Passengers at the Gran Canaria airport reported that even after registering on the biometric system, they were still required to do so again, adding at least five minutes to processing times.

The situation in Spain comes as Greece has opted to relax biometric controls ahead of the summer season. 

Greece moved quickly to cut wait times amid concerns over disruption and the estimated €3.5 billion British tourists contribute to its economy. 

Portugal and Italy have since attempted to suspend EES protocols but were blocked by Brussels.

READ MORE: Ryanair demands Spain follow Greece and suspend EES till September after Spanish airports were hit by long queues over May bank holiday weekend 

Following the disruption in Gran Canaria, some travellers have even called for a ‘boycott’ of Spain unless it follows Greece’s lead and eases the checks.

One tourist said: “We shouldn’t travel to Spain for one summer season. If you treat us like this, we won’t be coming back.”

Politicians in the Canary Islands have also called for a relaxation of entry requirements for the summer season in a bid to ensure tourists are not deterred from visiting the islands.

Partido Popular (PP) politicians argue that the islands, where tourism accounts for around 35% of GDP, should be granted special treatment.

With Brits accounting for 38% of visitors to the Canary Islands, politicians and the tourism industry are now pushing for a ‘light-touch’ EES system to ensure the summer season proceeds without further disruption.

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