Travelers arriving at Brussels Airport faced long waits at passport controls on Thursday morning due to the new European Entry/Exit System (EES), according to airport spokesperson Quentin Mertens, according to broadcaster RTBF.
"The new European Entry/Exit System (EES) is also affecting processing times," Mertens said.
Last weekend, the federal government decided to postpone the collection of biometric data—fingerprints and facial scans—for the EES after implementation caused "unacceptable" queues.
Travelers without EU nationality still need to register digitally.
Brussels Airport expects high passenger volumes with the start of Easter holidays in Flemish schools, forecasting more than 1.25 million travelers between April 17 and April 19.
The European Entry/Exit System records the entry and exit of non-EU travelers to strengthen border security and migration monitoring.
Catholic and Protestant Christians will celebrate Easter on April 5, while Orthodox Christians in Russia and Ukraine will celebrate Easter a week later on April 12, due to calendar differences.
The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar for calculations, whereas Western churches use the Gregorian calendar, which frequently causes Orthodox Christmas and Easter to fall later.
