LISBON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese authorities on Sunday suspended biometric data collection at the airports of Lisbon, Porto, and Faro due to excessive passenger waiting times, a spokesperson for the Public Security Police (PSP) said.
The suspension, announced at around 11:45 a.m. local time (1045 GMT), affects departures from Humberto Delgado Airport, Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, and Gago Coutinho Airport.
"There is a large number of people leaving the Schengen Area through the airports of Lisbon, Porto, and Faro," said Sergio Soares, noting that efforts were being made to keep waiting times manageable without compromising border security.
Soares said biometric data collection would resume once waiting times return to acceptable levels.
The system had already been suspended on Saturday morning and was later reinstated in the afternoon after queues eased.
The disruption follows the full rollout on Friday of the European Entry/Exit System (EES), a new automated EU border control system that replaces passport stamps with digital biometric registration - including photographs and fingerprints - for non-EU citizens.
