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Irish passengers face airport delays abroad due to new EU security rules

Updated: 12.15 Thousands of Irish passengers are facing long delays at other EU airports because ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.35 2 Aug 2017


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Irish passengers face airport...

Irish passengers face airport delays abroad due to new EU security rules

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.35 2 Aug 2017


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Updated: 12.15

Thousands of Irish passengers are facing long delays at other EU airports because of changes to security checks.

The measures came in in March in response to terror attacks in Paris and Brussels.

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However the daa stresses that any additional checks could be on arrival at another destination, not from an Irish airport.

 EU countries have to carry out tougher checks on passengers entering or leaving the Schengen area - which covers most of mainland Europe and lets people move passport-free.

Travellers' details now have to be run through databases to see if they pose a threat.

Because Ireland is not part of Schengen it means people flying between Ireland and many European countries could be subject to the longer checks.

The European Commission says: "The scope and duration of such a temporary reintroduction of border control at the internal borders is limited in time and should be restricted to the bare minimum needed to respond to the threat in question.

"Reintroducing border control at the internal border should only ever be used as a measure of last resort."

Airline lobby group A4E is calling on member states to take all necessary measures to prevent such disruption.

"A4E has stressed the disproportionate waiting times and disrupted flow of traffic at external borders with the European Commission and calls for a swift solution on behalf of European passengers and airlines," said Thomas Reynaert, A4E managing director.

“Especially during the peak season of the year, travellers face long lines and can’t get on their flights.

"Queuing for up to four hours has been the top record these days; airports like Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Lisbon, Lyon, Paris-Orly, Milan or Brussels are producing shameful pictures of devastated passengers in front of immigration booths, in lines stretching hundreds of metres.

"At some airports, flight delays have increased by 300% compared to last year - member states must take the responsibility for this".

Additional reporting: Jack Quann


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