Resenärer med rullväskor går genom en ljus och rymlig flygplatsterminal.
TRAVEL: Travellers with wheeled suitcases pass through a sunlit terminal hall, while increased border controls create longer waiting times for British visitors.

London pressures Switzerland on e-gates for Britons

New EU regulations cause queue problems for Britons at Swiss airports, threatening business travel.

Camilla Jonsson
Published

The background is increased waiting times for British travellers at airports such as Zurich Airport and Geneva Airport, following the introduction of the EU's new entry and exit system EES.

Since Brexit, British citizens are classified as third-country travellers in the Schengen area, which means more extensive border controls. At the same time, access to e-gates has been limited, leading to longer manual queues.

The City of London now warns that the situation risks impacting business travel between the United Kingdom and Europe.

Long waiting times harm the efficiency and attractiveness of travel, according to the organisation, reports Financial Times.

E-gates, which are based on biometric identification, are widely used by EU travellers and can significantly shorten the passage through border controls. However, integration with the new EES system is not yet fully developed, and the application varies between airports.

The issue is seen as a growing problem ahead of the summer season, where several European airports have already reported increased queues related to the new rules.



brexit ees system e-gates city of london schengen area flights
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