"Arrived Safely at the Airport, but Struck by Disaster"... What Happened to European Travelers?

As the weather gets hotter, many of you are likely planning your summer vacations.

If you are planning a trip to Europe, you should pay close attention to this.

Reports indicate that chaos is spreading at major European airports regarding immigration procedures.

The Financial Times recently reported that European airport operators are concerned about major disruptions during the summer season and are arguing that the new Entry/Exit System (EES) procedures should be bypassed for several weeks during the peak period.

The EES is a system that requires short-term visitors who are not citizens of EU member states to digitally register their fingerprints and facial photos.

Introduced on a trial basis in early October of last year with the goal of curbing illegal immigration, it went into full effect in April of this year.

However, the self-registration kiosks are frequently malfunctioning.

Furthermore, there are situations where passengers who have already completed the process are forced to undergo the inspection again from the beginning, leading to long queues.

As the summer vacation season kicks into full gear, the number of visitors is expected to increase sharply, which will likely exacerbate the situation.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has projected that waiting times could reach up to 6 hours at the most severely affected airports.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.