A coalition of European airport and airline associations has issued a fresh plea to the European Commission, demanding immediate action to mitigate the risk of severe travel chaos for millions of passengers this summer. The industry groups warn that the implementation of the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) is creating significant bottlenecks at borders, which are now jeopardizing Europe’s reputation, regional connectivity, and the tourism sector.
Since October 12, 2025, the 29 nations within the Schengen area have utilized the EES to track visitors from third countries. This IT-based system mandates that travelers provide fingerprints and facial images upon their initial entry, replacing traditional passport stamping with a digital database designed to monitor compliance with the 90/180-day stay limit. However, the rollout has been marred by substantial delays, which industry representatives describe as having reached a critical point following the full system activation in April.
In a formal letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, organizations including the Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that border waiting times have surged to as long as five hours during peak periods. These disruptions are affecting diverse groups of travelers, including families with young children, the elderly, and individuals with reduced mobility. Beyond passenger experience, airlines and airports are reporting operational strain, such as missed flight connections, half-empty planes departing to meet gate deadlines, and excessive pressure on frontline personnel.
The associations argue that the current setup is unsustainable for both major transit hubs and smaller regional airports. They are calling for an immediate intervention that would allow member states to temporarily pause the EES and revert to standard border control procedures, such as manual passport stamping, whenever justified by operational necessity. While Schengen nations currently have the authority to suspend biometric data collection until early September, industry leaders stress this has not been sufficient to prevent excessive queuing.
Looking ahead, the groups expect the situation to intensify as airports prepare to handle approximately 40 million more passengers in July and August compared to the previous two months. The aviation bodies are advocating for a permanent operational flexibility mechanism to permit the suspension of EES requirements until structural issues are resolved. Additionally, they have requested increased staffing at border crossings, enhanced stability for cross-border IT data systems, and the implementation of an EU-wide app to allow passengers to pre-register their data, which would help alleviate congestion at terminals.
