European airports have begun rolling out next-generation CT scanners and relaxed liquid rules, a transformation hailed by Travel and Tour World on 30 November as “Europe’s ultimate security overhaul.” While the headline focused on the UK, Germany, Ireland and Italy, Brussels Airport is following the same trajectory and has already installed 36 e-gates and 61 self-service kiosks in preparation for the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES).
Under the EES, scheduled to become operational across the Schengen area in stages from October 2025, third-country nationals will have their fingerprints and facial image captured at their first point of entry, replacing manual passport stamps. Brussels Airport Company has built 12 additional border-control boxes and outfitted all booths with cameras to cope with the data-collection surge.
![EU airport security overhaul and upcoming Entry/Exit System: impact for Belgian travellers]()
For Belgian corporates the timing is crucial. From Q4 2025, non-EU assignees making frequent trips outside the bloc will need to factor in extra border-processing time on re-entry, especially if they have not preregistered biometrics. Employers should start advising staff to arrive at least three hours before long-haul departures until passenger flows stabilise.
The introduction of CT scanners will, however, speed up security for EU nationals. Belgium is expected to follow Heathrow and Dublin in allowing travellers to keep liquids of up to two litres and electronics inside cabin bags once the new equipment is certified—potentially shaving 30 % off queue times during peak morning banks.
Action points for mobility managers: update employee travel handbooks to explain EES procedures, budget for possible delays on intra-Schengen shuttle runs, and monitor Federal Police staffing levels at Brussels Airport, as insufficient officers could turn the promised ‘seamless’ border into a chokepoint.
Under the EES, scheduled to become operational across the Schengen area in stages from October 2025, third-country nationals will have their fingerprints and facial image captured at their first point of entry, replacing manual passport stamps. Brussels Airport Company has built 12 additional border-control boxes and outfitted all booths with cameras to cope with the data-collection surge.
For Belgian corporates the timing is crucial. From Q4 2025, non-EU assignees making frequent trips outside the bloc will need to factor in extra border-processing time on re-entry, especially if they have not preregistered biometrics. Employers should start advising staff to arrive at least three hours before long-haul departures until passenger flows stabilise.
The introduction of CT scanners will, however, speed up security for EU nationals. Belgium is expected to follow Heathrow and Dublin in allowing travellers to keep liquids of up to two litres and electronics inside cabin bags once the new equipment is certified—potentially shaving 30 % off queue times during peak morning banks.
Action points for mobility managers: update employee travel handbooks to explain EES procedures, budget for possible delays on intra-Schengen shuttle runs, and monitor Federal Police staffing levels at Brussels Airport, as insufficient officers could turn the promised ‘seamless’ border into a chokepoint.
