AENA take action to ease passport control queues for British arrivals
Spain hasn’t followed Greece in suspending the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), despite long queues affecting non-EU passengers, particularly those from the UK, at several major airports, but AENA has instructed staff to take practical steps to ease congestion and reduce waiting times.
Travellers have reported waiting times of up to three hours, especially during busy periods, claiming the EES machines are not all functional, and are causing the problem.
According to travel firm VisaHQ, airports including Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante and Palma (Mallorca) have confirmed that the new system is functioning correctly. However, they admit that passenger numbers during the Easter period overwhelmed border control capacity at peak times.
The EES system, introduced across the EU to digitally record the entry and exit of non-EU travellers, requires biometric data collection for first-time users, a process that has significantly slowed queues.
Measures to Reduce Delays
Under new guidance issued to frontline staff, airports are now allowed to:
- Redirect families and passengers with reduced mobility to traditional passport stamping queues if biometric waiting times exceed 25 minutes
- Stagger flight arrivals in coordination with airport slot teams to avoid bottlenecks
- Apply temporary adjustments to manage crowd flow, particularly during busy periods
These measures are described as operational adjustments rather than a suspension of the system, with biometric registration still required for first-time travellers.
Growing Criticism
The rollout of the EES system has faced strong criticism from airlines and the wider travel industry, with concerns mounting ahead of the busy summer season.
ABTA, The Travel Association, has urged authorities to improve planning and ensure adequate staffing levels during peak travel periods. Its chief executive, Mark Tanzer, said while some disruption was expected with a project of this scale, more could be done to manage queues.
He warned that border authorities must make full use of contingency measures and deploy additional staff when needed, particularly as travel demand rises in the coming summer months.
With ongoing pressures linked to global uncertainty and rising travel costs, industry leaders say ensuring smoother airport processes will be key to maintaining traveller confidence.
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