Brussels Airport expands border control capacity to tackle EES delays

Brussels Airport is adding eight border control positions and six e-gates to help reduce lengthy queues caused by the European Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires biometric registration and additional checks for non-European travellers entering the Schengen area.

The eight additional manual border control positions are scheduled to be installed at arrivals in December 2026, increasing capacity by 66 per cent. The expansion will double manual border control capacity at arrivals within 12 months. Six additional e-gates, ordered from the federal police in May 2026, are due to be delivered in early 2027, increasing arrivals e-gate capacity by 50 per cent.

Despite previous investment in additional infrastructure, processing times remain significantly longer since the EES was introduced. Registration requirements, including the collection of facial images and fingerprints, have increased the time needed to process non-Schengen passengers. Some travellers from non-European countries who previously used e-gates are also no longer eligible to do so.

During the morning peak, the average processing time for arriving passengers requiring visas is now two to three times longer than before the EES. Brussels Airport reports that waiting times increased again in September, following a slight improvement in August, as biometric registration volumes rose. Similar disruption has affected airports across Europe, with queues sometimes lasting between two and four hours.

Brussels Airport had already increased the number of manual border control positions by 20 per cent at arrivals and 25 per cent at departures in 2025, exceeding passenger traffic growth. However, the additional processing time required under the EES has meant that waiting times remain excessive.

Further measures required
The airport also invested in 60 EES pre-registration kiosks last year, intended to reduce processing times at manual controls and enable more non-European travellers to use e-gates. Although authorities approved their use for travellers from certain countries before summer 2026, technical problems involving government suppliers have delayed implementation.

Once operational, the kiosks are expected to help reduce waiting times, particularly for departing passengers. At arrivals, e-gate access remains limited to certain nationalities and passengers already registered in the EES.

Brussels Airport is also calling for further action at European level, supporting proposals from ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe to improve the system’s implementation. Suggested measures include optimising biometric checks and introducing a widely available registration app that can be used in Belgium. Sweden and Portugal are currently the only two European countries offering such an app, according to the airport.

The airport has also called for greater flexibility in applying EES requirements when queues become excessive, including temporarily suspending biometric registration while maintaining essential security checks.

Brussels Airport is working with the relevant authorities and government departments through a dedicated steering group to improve border processing while maintaining secure and effective controls.