Travellers wait for hours and miss flights

Travelers across Europe are facing serious delays at border checks due to the new Entry/Exit System (EES), which came into full effect in Schengen countries on Friday, April 24.

The system, which has been gradually introduced since October 2025, was supposed to speed up and digitize procedures, but the experiences of travelers show otherwise.

Hundreds of of them reported hours-long waits, technical difficulties during scanning and staff shortages. Some missed flights because of the crowds and suffered significant financial losses.

Briton Dave Giles from Northamptonshire missed his flight from Copenhagen and had to pay for new tickets, accommodation and additional costs worth more than £2,000.

A pregnant woman from London waited for four hours in Pisa in what she called a blocked corridor with no help or place to sit, while parents with young children in Malaga waited up to three and a half hours.

The problems are being repeated at various airports, so in Krakow, officials used their mobile phones because the cameras in the check-in booths did not work, while in Madeira and Eurostar, the kiosks were closed or covered with metal foil.

Passengers say there are no clear instructions, that registration has to be repeated at every stage of the journey and that they do not know what to expect when they arrive at airports.

Elderly passengers are particularly affected, who are often forced to stand for hours without access to toilets or seats.

“It seems like the airlines have abdicated all responsibility,” said one passenger, adding that the airlines are passing the buck to the airports.

The new system was supposed to increase safety and efficiency, but passengers warn that delays may discourage travel within Europe. /teshesh

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Source: prizrenpost