Rome Airport Chief: EU Border Tech Nearly Triples Wait Times for Brits

The head of Rome’s main airport says the European Union’s new digital border system has nearly tripled the time it takes British travelers to clear passport control—even after recent upgrades. Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer at Fiumicino, told the BBC that what used to be a seven-minute process now takes about 20 minutes. He described the situation as “absolutely not okay” and said the system “needs fixing urgently.”

The Entry Exit System, phased in since October, requires non-EU visitors entering the Schengen zone to register fingerprints and a photo upon arrival. It’s meant to tighten security, but airports across Europe have reported hours-long queues, missed flights, and frustrated passengers. Ryanair has warned UK travelers to expect extended waits this summer, calling the rollout a failure. In Rome, one family from Yorkshire spent two hours in line with children; another couple from the U.S. missed their driver after an hour-long queue.

Portugal’s Faro airport has seen waits jump from 10 minutes to more than 30, according to border police Superintendent Pedro Oliveira. He acknowledged bugs in the EU’s IT system, noting that server crashes sometimes hit all member states at once. Still, he insisted most queues move quickly and waits over an hour are rare. The European Commission says disruption has been limited at most airports and promises continued support for member states. Meanwhile, Bassato wants authorities to cut duplication and get more countries using the EU’s pre-registration app—so far, only Sweden and Portugal have signed on.