Airports and airlines warn Entry Exit System delays risk summer border disruption

ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe and International Air Transport Association have warned that the rollout of the Schengen Entry Exit System (EES) continues to generate significant delays for passengers, raising the prospect of severe disruption during the peak summer season.

In a joint letter addressed to Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, the associations highlighted persistent excessive waiting times of up to two hours at airport border control. These delays are occurring under the current progressive implementation phase of the Entry Exit System, which requires 35 per cent of third country nationals entering the Schengen zone to be registered.

The groups identified three critical factors compounding the disruption: chronic understaffing at border control, unresolved technological challenges particularly relating to border automation, and the limited uptake by Schengen states of the Frontex pre registration application. Together, these issues are constraining processing capacity at airports across Europe.

They cautioned that if full mandatory Entry Exit System registration is enforced during the peak travel months of July and August without additional flexibility, waiting times could extend to four hours or more. Passenger volumes at Europe’s airports typically double over the summer period, significantly increasing pressure on border infrastructure and staffing resources.

The organisations have urged the European Commission to confirm that Schengen Member States will retain the ability to partially or totally suspend Entry Exit System implementation until the end of October 2026. Under the current regulatory framework, suspension mechanisms may no longer be available beyond early July, creating uncertainty around operational flexibility.

Olivier Jankovec, Ourania Georgoutsakou and Thomas Reynaert said there is a disconnect between the perception of EU institutions and operational realities at airports. They stressed that a flexible and pragmatic rollout of Entry Exit System is essential to avoid large scale disruption and to protect the reputation of the European Union as an efficient and welcoming destination for international travellers.

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