The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has “urged EU member states to extend the possibility of partly, or fully, suspending the EES scheme at peak periods, and to take immediate steps to reinforce staffing … and eliminate redundant checks.”
Anna Tims, who covers consumer affairs for the Guardian, also reported that the IATA has “repeatedly warned the full rollout of the EES in its current form poses an operational risk before the summer peak.”
Lanzarote, which has suffered long queues at its César Manrique Airport following the introduction of the EES scheme, is not the only airport suffering such problems. Tenerife South has also had serious problems, and Lisbon Airport was forced to suspend the EES scheme after queues reached seven hours in December.
Tims contacted IATA in response to a reader who complained that their family had missed an EasyJet flight from Málaga to the UK due to long queues at the luggage check-in desks, followed by further queues to clear security.
She reported that it seems unlikely that airlines will extend their two-hour check in windows, and recommended that “the best bet, if you want to be sure of boarding, is to squeeze all your packing into a cabin bag and skip the luggage check in” – an option that will only be possible for some holiday-makers.
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