Criticism over passenger delays
Strong criticism has been directed at the police identification system operating at Larnaca International Airport, with reports of significant inconvenience for passengers.
Legal expert Achilleas Emilianides described the situation as “absolute absurdity” in a public post, highlighting serious malfunctions affecting travellers.
Outdated process under fire
According to Emilianides, the “Border Express” system scans travel documents, photographs passengers, and prints a slip that must then be shown manually to a police officer. He criticised the process as outdated and contrary to the logic of digitalisation.
Frequent malfunctions cause queues
The system reportedly often fails to complete checks, either by not capturing a photo or issuing an invalid printout. These issues have led to long queues and overcrowding at the airport.
Emilianides noted that the problem has been known for years and could be mitigated with adequate police staffing to handle manual checks when the automated system fails.
Incidents highlight staffing gaps
In a recent case, passengers were reportedly redirected to another checkpoint where no staff were available, causing further delays and frustration.
Impact on Cyprus tourism image
The legal expert stressed that in a tourism-driven country like Cyprus, such dysfunction damages the country’s image and requires immediate improvement.
It is noted that the specific machines fall under the responsibility of the Cyprus Police and not the airport operator Hermes Airports.
Also read: Flight and holiday package prices in Cyprus: What’s changed?
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