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EU border system switch-offs cause airport chaos
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ช Estonia /Energy & Infrastructure

EU border system switch-offs cause airport chaos

From Postimees · () Estonian

Translated from Estonian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The EU's new biometric border control system is causing long queues at airports during peak summer travel.
  • Some airports are temporarily disabling the system to manage the large influx of passengers.
  • Air France-KLM cited Paris and Amsterdam hubs as examples where the system is switched off during busy periods.

The European Union's new biometric border control system has led to significant delays and long queues at airports across the bloc during the busy summer travel season. The system's implementation has caused such disruption that some airports are resorting to temporarily disabling it to ensure smoother passenger flow.

Air France-KLM reported that the system is being switched off during peak hours at major hubs like Paris and Amsterdam to manage the large volume of travelers. Similar measures have been observed at airports in Frankfurt, Brussels, and Milan, where biometric checks have been suspended during busy periods to alleviate congestion.

The biometric system, designed to enhance security by verifying travelers' identities against databases, appears to be struggling to cope with the high demand of the summer holiday period. The temporary deactivation highlights the challenges in balancing enhanced security protocols with the need for efficient and timely processing of passengers, particularly in large international airports.

If queues build up during the busy summer months, the system is switched off to ensure smooth passage through our hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.

โ€” Air France-KLMAn airline representative explaining the temporary deactivation of the EU's biometric border system at major airports.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Postimees in Estonian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.