Rome airports warn EES checks could cause travel ‘disaster’ this summer

This report covers rome airports warn ees with key details and context.

Senior officials at Rome’s main airports have warned that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is causing extended wait times and may need to be suspended to avert a travel ‘disaster’ this summer.

Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer at Fiumicino, told the BBC that average wait times for UK nationals have surged from seven to 20 minutes. ‘We need to fix urgently certain aspects of the system,’ he said.

Marco Troncone, CEO of the company operating both Fiumicino and Ciampino, told the Financial Times that he is ‘very worried’ about the summer impact. ‘The process proves to be incompatible with the peak volumes that we are going to face,’ he said.

The EES, which replaced manual passport stamps with electronic fingerprint and facial scans for non-EU travellers, became mandatory on April 10. Its rollout at Italian airports initially caused queues of two to three hours.

While Rome struggles, other airports report no such issues. A spokesperson for Aeroporti di Puglia, which manages Bari and Brindisi, said EES is ‘operating smoothly’ at their airports, with no plans to halt checks. Brindisi noted occasional delays after system updates.

The Italian government had previously denied plans to suspend EES, but growing pressure may force a rethink. Travellers without an EU passport are advised to arrive early.

Article and image source: thelocal.it

rome airports warn ees: key developments so far.

Why it matters: understanding rome airports warn ees helps readers navigate updates with confidence.