Brits may no longer will able to benefit from eased airport measures (Image: Getty Images/Stock Photo)
As a major travel change comes into effect from today (Monday, 7 September), an expert has warned Brits about the potential disruption when travelling to and from Europe.
Earlier this year, the European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit System (EES) was introduced across airports and, in an effort to minimise travel disruption, member states were permitted to ease some of its requirements. EU nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, were allowed to temporarily “lift biometric registration” until the end of summer to provide “some relief for the worst-case scenario”, and temporarily deactivated the EES when necessary.
Numerous European nations took advantage of the relaxed measures, particularly throughout the summer holidays, as the EES mandates that all British passport holders create a digital record and register their biometric information, such as fingerprints and a photograph, upon entering the Schengen zone. However, as of today, Monday, 7 September, the provision easing EES requirements is expected to have expired, with no official announcement of an extension, reports the Mirror.
The EES requires all British passport holders to create a digital record and register their biometric details upon arrival in the Schengen area (Image: Getty Images)
With concerns mounting that the digital system could trigger travel mayhem if no additional flexibility is extended to British holidaymakers crossing into the EU, an industry expert has sounded the alarm about the potential consequences. Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and CEO of passenger-rights company AirAdvisor, explained: “The part of this most travellers have not clocked is that the risk runs both ways. Everyone worries about queues when arriving in Europe, but British passengers can also become trapped at exit control at a Spanish, Italian or other Schengen airport when trying to fly home.
“If a passenger misses an operating flight solely because of a passport-control queue, there is generally no automatic EU261 right to compensation or free rebooking. Airlines may help voluntarily, but passengers should not assume they will, and many insurance policies only cover specified causes such as public transport failure, so the exact wording needs to be checked.”
“If the airline delays the flight because passengers are stuck in the queue, its normal care obligations still apply after the relevant waiting period. If it cancels, passengers remain entitled to a refund or rerouting, even though fixed compensation is unlikely where the border disruption was outside the airline’s control.”
Anton added: “My advice is to treat the return journey as seriously as the flight out. Follow the airport’s arrival-time guidance, go to passport control promptly, alert the airline before the gate closes if the queue becomes excessive and preserve time-stamped evidence showing where the delay occurred.”
The expert shared a warning to Brits travelling to and from Europe (Image: Getty Images/Stock Image)
Reports suggest certain member states may continue to permit relaxed measures going forward, though no official confirmation has been made. A European Commission spokesperson told the Guardian at the start of last week: “We are in close and constructive contact with those few member states where some adjustments are needed at certain border crossing points. And during an additional period of operational adjustment that is needed at these few operational border crossing points, the commission stands ready to provide additional support to these member states.”
Meanwhile, Ryanair has urged the EU Commission to “immediately” extend the EES flexibility until next year. Ryanair’s COO Neal McMahon said: “The EU’s handling of EES has been a shambles from start to finish. Airlines, airports and border authorities repeatedly warned Brussels that the rollout was not ready, that it would increase processing times and that it would create excessive queues for passengers. Those warnings were ignored, with EU citizens the ones delayed and disrupted.
“Passengers should not be made to pay the price for the EU’s failed EES rollout. Ryanair calls on the EU Commission to urgently extend the EES derogation until at least Apr 2027, so that airports and border authorities have the time needed to fix malfunctioning kiosks, increase staffing levels and ensure the system can operate efficiently before full enforcement is introduced and passengers are condemned to these excessive border control delays for another season.”
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This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
