Getlink warns EU border system biometric checks may be delayed

Channel Tunnel operator Getlink has warned that the biometric element of the European Union's new digital border security system for car passengers using the tunnel could be delayed because of software issues.

New entry/exit system

According to Getlink Chief Executive Yann Leriche, the biometric component of the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES) cannot yet be implemented for passenger vehicles because the software provided by the EU is not fully stable.

"I'm not going to tell you that we aren't experiencing any difficulties at all, because there's one issue that affects us all and for which there is no obvious immediate solution: the software provided by the European Union," Leriche told reporters.

The EES is a digital border system for non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for short stays. It replaces passport stamping with electronic records of entries, exits, refusals of entry and biometric data. The system became fully operational on 10 April 2026.

Getlink, which operates the Channel Tunnel under a concession that runs until 2086, has invested $91 million to prepare its terminals for the EES.

New border system raises travel concerns

The new system has raised concerns among airline groups and British authorities over the risk of travel disruption during peak holiday periods. However, Leriche said queues at the Channel Tunnel were only one to two hours long, compared with significantly longer delays reported at some airports.

Leriche also criticised the British media, saying it gives the company bad press.

“All this bad press - especially from the British side, since 80 per cent of our tourists are British - ultimately creates a negative impression, even though, in reality, the problems are largely manageable if we do our job."

Getlink raises earnings forecast

Separately, the Paris-based company said it had initiated proceedings over a revaluation of business rates by the British government that tripled its annual tax bill.

Leriche warned that if, by the end of the summer, the UK's new government did not reconsider its position, the company would begin legal action.

Despite concerns surrounding the EES rollout, Getlink expects only limited disruption and has raised its full-year earnings guidance to between $949 million and $989 million, up from its previous forecast of between $932 million and $978 million.

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