The chief executive of easyJet criticized the European Union’s new border control system, citing long delays that caused several British travelers to miss their flights.
easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis expressed his dissatisfaction with the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) during an interview with ITV News, stating that the lack of preparedness by the EU since the start of Brexit negotiations in 2017 led to the current issues.
The newly implemented digital system, which was initially planned to launch in October the previous year but only became fully operational on April 10, imposes additional requirements on UK travelers visiting Schengen area countries. British passport holders may now need to provide biometric information – such as fingerprints and facial images – upon arrival at airport kiosks. No prior registration is necessary, and there is no charge for this process.
The UK Government cautioned that the new checks could be more time-consuming compared to the previous manual passport stamping procedure for non-EU travelers.
Jarvis suggested a more flexible rollout of the system, recommending implementation during off-peak periods to alleviate congestion, especially during peak travel times like bank holidays or school breaks.
He noted that issues have started to improve since the system’s introduction.
Following border delays in April that resulted in approximately 100 easyJet passengers missing their flights in Milan, Jarvis defended the decision to leave passengers behind due to crew flight hour regulations.
Regarding the incident, an easyJet spokesperson advised passengers departing from Milan Linate to allow extra time for passport control and offered assistance to affected customers, including free flight transfers for those who missed their flights.
The airline continues to urge border authorities to utilize all available flexibilities to minimize delays for passengers until the EU’s Entry/Exit System is fully implemented, apologizing for any inconvenience caused.
Further information on the EU’s Entry/Exit System is accessible on the UK Government’s official website.