The lessons for Africa in Europe’s passport queue crisis

For years, Europe and the United States have been regarded as global benchmarks for efficient airport operations. Yet recent reports of passengers spending two to three hours in passport control queues at some of the world’s busiest airports reveal that even the most advanced aviation systems are struggling to keep pace with growing international travel.

The introduction of Europe’s Entry-Exit System (EES), designed to strengthen border security through biometric verification, has unintentionally created severe congestion at airports. Technical glitches, unreliable fingerprint scanners, repeated passenger registrations, and insufficient border personnel have transformed what was expected to be a seamless digital solution into a frustrating experience for millions of travellers. Similar challenges are evident in the United States, where staffing shortages and rising passenger numbers continue to produce lengthy immigration queues.

While these developments are creating significant inconvenience for passengers, they also provide valuable lessons for Africa, whose aviation industry is entering an era of unprecedented expansion. As African governments invest billions of dollars in new airports, modern terminals, and digital technologies, they must ensure that border management evolves at the same pace as aviation infrastructure.

The first lesson is that technology alone cannot solve operational problems. Digital transformation is only successful when supported by adequate staffing, reliable infrastructure, rigorous testing, and continuous maintenance. Installing biometric gates without ensuring dependable software, resilient communication systems, and trained personnel merely transfers delays from manual counters to automated systems. Africa should therefore pursue digitalisation carefully, prioritising system reliability and passenger convenience rather than simply acquiring the latest technology.

Secondly, aviation planning must recognise that airports are only as efficient as the weakest component in the passenger journey. Significant investments in terminal expansion, runway upgrades, baggage systems, and commercial facilities lose much of their value if passengers spend hours waiting to clear immigration. Passenger experience extends beyond airline services; it encompasses every touchpoint from check-in to arrival. Border agencies, immigration authorities, customs, airport operators, airlines, and security agencies must therefore plan and operate as a single integrated ecosystem.

Another important lesson concerns capacity planning. Passenger traffic across Africa is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decades, driven by economic development, urbanisation, tourism, and the gradual implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Many African airports are simultaneously positioning themselves as regional hubs linking Africa with Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Without matching investments in immigration staffing and border processing capacity, today’s manageable queues could quickly become tomorrow’s operational crisis.

Funding also deserves closer attention. In Europe and America, airlines and airports have argued that governments should increase investment in border control because immigration is fundamentally a sovereign responsibility. At the same time, several airports have voluntarily financed additional automated gates and dedicated fast-track facilities to improve passenger satisfaction. African policymakers may need to adopt similar partnership models, where governments retain responsibility for border security while airports contribute to technological upgrades that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.

The passport queue challenge also reinforces the importance of data-driven airport management. Modern airports increasingly use predictive analytics, passenger flow modelling, artificial intelligence, and real-time monitoring to forecast congestion before it occurs. These tools enable managers to deploy additional staff, redirect passengers, and optimise processing capacity during peak periods. African airports should embed these capabilities into their airport operations centres rather than relying solely on manual observation and reactive decision-making.

Equally important is regional harmonisation. The vision of seamless travel across Africa depends not only on expanded air connectivity but also on efficient border processes. Initiatives such as the Single African Air Transport Market and the African Continental Free Trade Area will deliver their full economic benefits only if passengers can move quickly, securely, and predictably across borders. The gradual adoption of interoperable biometric identity systems, advanced passenger information, risk-based screening, and mutually recognised travel documents could significantly reduce processing times while strengthening security.

Customer experience must remain central to every decision. Long queues create more than frustration; they increase stress, reduce airport spending, disrupt onward connections, damage tourism, and weaken an airport’s competitive position. In an increasingly competitive aviation market, passengers often remember the final experience at immigration more vividly than the flight itself. Airports that consistently deliver fast and predictable arrivals will enjoy stronger reputations and greater commercial success.

Africa has the advantage of learning from the mistakes of more mature aviation markets. Rather than repeating the costly experience of introducing technology before operational readiness, African countries can build integrated border management systems from the outset. By combining smart technology with adequate staffing, inter-agency coordination, proactive planning, and customer-focused operations, the continent can create airports that are both secure and efficient.

The growing passport queues in Europe are not merely a European problem. They are a timely reminder that aviation excellence depends on every link in the passenger journey. As Africa prepares for its next phase of aviation growth, the continent has an opportunity to build border management systems that deliver security without sacrificing speed, convenience, or the passenger experience. That would position African aviation not only to avoid today’s global challenges but also to become a model for tomorrow’s connected world.

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EKELEM AIRHIHEN

Ekelem Airhihen, an accredited mediator, has an MBA from the Lagos Business School. He is a member, ACI Airport Non-aeronautical Revenue Activities Committee; his interests are in market research, customer experience and performance measurement, negotiation, strategy and data and business analytics. He can be reached on ekyair@yahoo.com and +2348023125396 (WhatsApp only).