City of London urges action on Swiss border as EES holds up business travellers

City of London officials are pressing Switzerland to allow UK travellers to use automated passport gates to end the long airport queues that have become a regular gripe for business travellers.

The new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), which covers the Schengen area, rolled out last week, and it has resulted in lengthy queues at airports across Europe for British travellers. 

The entry queues at major airports, such as Zurich, have frustrated UK travellers, particularly during busy periods like the ski season and the annual World Economic Forum in Davos.

Unlike British travellers, the Swiss are not facing the same issue, as Switzerland is a member of the Schengen area, and as a result, can use automated gates on arrival in the UK.

Chris Hayward, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, said this issue had been raised in discussions about smoothing cross-border activity and was “an important ‘nice to have’.”

“If we really want to maximise those flows between the two countries, we need to make ease of access for business as quick as possible,” he told the Financial Times.

The issue is ‘complicated’

Hayward is currently in Switzerland to promote deeper economic links with the UK.  

However, Swiss officials have indicated the issue is “complicated”, citing technical and legal constraints linked to border arrangements.

Despite new Brexit agreements enabling Brits to access fast-track e-gates, the EES is designed to improve border security within the EU and its neighbouring countries and to reduce illegal migration in the Schengen area.

The call for action comes as over 100 people missed their Easyjet flight to Manchester from Milan’s Linate airport on Sunday, while stuck in a ‘nightmare’ passport control queue.

Some passengers told the media they were forced to pay over £1,000 for last-minute alternative flights to get home.

As it stands, the best advice for travellers is to get to the airport in plenty of time, not to loiter around duty-free as they might have done before, and to queue for the kiosks well in advance.