On 27 February, industry bodies ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) published a joint letter warning that the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) could cause “severe disruption” during the upcoming summer peak. Tests carried out at several hubs, including Brussels Airport, have already produced queues of up to four hours because of staffing shortages and scanner glitches.
The EES—due to become mandatory on 9 April—will replace passport stamping for all non-EU travellers with fingerprint and facial-recognition checks at automated kiosks. While the European Commission insists the timeline remains unchanged, it has quietly allowed member states to suspend the system temporarily if congestion becomes unmanageable.
![Airports and airlines urge EU to delay biometric Entry/Exit System as Brussels Airport braces for four-hour queues]()
Amid these impending changes, travellers and corporate mobility teams may benefit from specialised assistance. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) delivers real-time updates on Schengen border procedures, streamlines visa documentation, and offers alert services on EES developments—helping companies and individual passengers stay a step ahead of disruption.
For Belgian Corporates that rotate non-EU assignees in and out of headquarters every week, the prospect of multi-hour border waits threatens productivity and could increase travel-day costs by requiring earlier departures. Travel managers should encourage employees to pre-register biometric data where available and build longer connection buffers into itineraries.
Brussels Airport Company says it has ordered an additional 40 kiosks and is working with the Federal Police to hire seasonal border guards, yet acknowledges that full staffing will not be in place before July. If the EU refuses a blanket delay, airline alliances may need to re-time early-morning bank departures to prevent airside bottlenecks.
The EES—due to become mandatory on 9 April—will replace passport stamping for all non-EU travellers with fingerprint and facial-recognition checks at automated kiosks. While the European Commission insists the timeline remains unchanged, it has quietly allowed member states to suspend the system temporarily if congestion becomes unmanageable.
Amid these impending changes, travellers and corporate mobility teams may benefit from specialised assistance. VisaHQ’s Belgium portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) delivers real-time updates on Schengen border procedures, streamlines visa documentation, and offers alert services on EES developments—helping companies and individual passengers stay a step ahead of disruption.
For Belgian Corporates that rotate non-EU assignees in and out of headquarters every week, the prospect of multi-hour border waits threatens productivity and could increase travel-day costs by requiring earlier departures. Travel managers should encourage employees to pre-register biometric data where available and build longer connection buffers into itineraries.
Brussels Airport Company says it has ordered an additional 40 kiosks and is working with the Federal Police to hire seasonal border guards, yet acknowledges that full staffing will not be in place before July. If the EU refuses a blanket delay, airline alliances may need to re-time early-morning bank departures to prevent airside bottlenecks.
