Malta International Airport is set to introduce temporary booths in a bid to ease delays caused by border control checks according to Whos Who.mt These border control booths will be introduced during the peak summer months in an effort to address delays linked to the European Union’s new Entry-Exit System (EES).A Malta International Airport(MIA) spokesperson told WhosWho.mt that the airport has been preparing for the rollout of the EES through major upgrades across both Arrivals and Departures.Among these is an €11 million westward terminal expansion completed in 2025, which introduced a new Schengen arrivals corridor and enlarged the non-Schengen Arrivals Hall to allow for additional border control booths and increased passenger processing capacity.The spokesperson added that further improvements are still ongoing in Departures, and that contingency measures, including temporary border control booths, will be introduced during peak summer periods to help support passenger processing.“We are aware of the concerns being raised around waiting times at immigration during peak hours, a challenge currently being experienced at airports across the EU, and we understand the impact on passengers and airline partners, such as Ryanair,” the spokesperson said.They also noted that “while immigration controls fall under the responsibility of the Malta Police Force, we are working closely with them to support efficient flows by providing the necessary infrastructure, aligning operational planning, and monitoring traffic in real time.”“We remain in regular contact with airlines and other stakeholders to anticipate peak demand and respond quickly where needed.”“Malta continues to see strong demand, and we are confident that, through ongoing coordination, border processes will support both passenger experience and airline operations throughout the summer.”The EES requires non-EU nationals to register biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, each time they cross a Schengen border.It has been phased in since October but was formally launched this month, with a disrupted start reported at several airports. In some cases, passengers travelling from Milan to Manchester were left behind due to border check issues.Locally, David Curmi, Executive Chairman of KM Malta Airlines, warned that immigration processing times are currently taking between three and four minutes, significantly higher than the 70-second average published by the European Commission at the system’s launch.He said the national airline will not accept a situation where its operations are affected by congestion at immigration.Ryanair has also warned that it could shift capacity away from Malta to other Mediterranean destinations if border delays do not improve.What do you make of this?•