Passport security changes bring delays at Athens airport

The caller European Union entry/exit system introduced successful April whitethorn person enhanced borderline security, but it has besides meant bigger delays for travelers astatine the bloc’s airports – and Greece is nary exception.

“The feta I tried successful the airdrome lounge was amazing, possibly the champion I’ve ever had,” Tanisha from the United States precocious told Kathimerini of her acquisition astatine Athens International Airport. “If I had to notation 1 atrocious thing, though, it would beryllium the agelong wait astatine passport control. It took astir two and a fractional hours to get through.”

Before the much rigorous information checks – which see fingerprinting and photographing travelers from non-Schengen countries, among different measures – went into unit crossed the bloc connected April 10, passengers cleared passport power successful astir 20 seconds connected average. That has present gone up to a infinitesimal and a half, meaning that Tanisha’s acquisition was successful nary way unusual, though the magnitude of the hold depends connected the clip of day.

“If it’s betwixt noon and 2 p.m. when we person 15 airplanes coming successful from countries extracurricular the Schengen zone, then unit cannot beryllium avoided,” sources successful the transport assemblage tell Kathimerini, commenting connected the situation astatine Greece’s biggest airport.

Right now, the busiest days spot astir 6,000 passengers from non-Schengen countries going done passport control. “And it’s conscionable the beginning,” the sources say, noting that we’re still astatine the start of the summertime tourism season. At its highest from mid-July to mid-August, that fig is expected to emergence supra 15,000.

“As the formation docket intensifies, waiting times are expected to rise,” the sources say. “So far, complaints person been astir the hassle, not worrying incidents similar missed flights, successful opposition to different European airports.”

Anticipating that the situation will alteration arsenic traveler numbers rise, Athens International has bolstered the information desks for arrivals from its main tourism markets, including the US, Canada, Australia, China and India. It has streamlined the process for British travelers – Greece’s biggest market, with astir 5 cardinal visitors successful 2025 – who will not beryllium required to undergo biometric information registration.

Automated kiosks are besides expected to beryllium deployed successful the coming months, providing much-needed alleviation to airdrome operations.