Travelers face up to 3 hour waits at Brussels Airport amid new EU border system rollout

Non-European travelers arriving at Brussels Airport faced waiting times of up to three hours at border control during peak morning hours on Thursday due to the rollout of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) and a seasonal surge in returning holidaymakers.

Airport spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens confirmed the delays to Dutch-language public broadcaster VRT, noting that non-European passengers experienced three-hour queues upon arrival. By contrast, European citizens using automated passport-control gates experienced shorter wait times, generally between 30 and 60 minutes.

The delays stem largely from the implementation of the EES, a digital border-management system that electronically registers non-European nationals entering and leaving the Schengen Area. The system replaces physical passport stamps with biometric checks, including fingerprints and facial scans.

"The registration requires more steps and time per passenger. As a result, waiting times build up rapidly during busy periods," Franssens said.

Although the Belgian government deployed additional Aviation Police personnel ahead of summer to staff all available control booths, the airport reported that the extra workforce has proven insufficient during high-volume periods.