RYANAIR CALLS FOR SUSPENSION OF EU EES SYSTEM UNTIL AUTUMN

Low-cost airline Ryanair has urged the Spanish government to suspend the implementation of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) until September, warning that the current rollout is causing major disruptions at airports during the busy summer travel season.

According to the airline, the move is aimed at preventing passengers from facing excessively long waiting times at passport control checkpoints across several Spanish airports.

Ryanair stated that although the EES system officially became operational on April 10, Spanish authorities have failed to provide sufficient staffing levels and install the necessary kiosks required for the system to function efficiently.

The airline claims that waiting times currently exceed two hours at terminals in Málaga, Alicante, Lanzarote, southern Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Reus and Fuerteventura.

The disruptions have reportedly been caused by a shortage of personnel as well as repeated failures of computer systems linked to the new border-control platform.