Airports and airlines call for EES suspension amid summer disruption fears

Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have warned that the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) continues to risk causing significant passenger delays. Without immediate action to introduce “sufficient operational flexibility”, they argue that severe disruption during the peak summer travel period is “a real prospect”, with queues potentially reaching four hours or more.

The three industry bodies have therefore urged authorities to suspend the full launch of the EES, cautioning that implementation in its current form could lead to major disruption. They added that “chronic border control understaffing” risked triggering long queues, while “unresolved technology issues” could further impact passenger flows.

The EES – a new digital border management system requiring non-EU travellers to register biometric data at self-service kiosks – is currently being introduced in phases ahead of a full rollout. All border crossings are scheduled to have the technology operational by 10 April 2026, although member states can suspend full operations where necessary.

According to ACI Europe, the phased introduction has already led to waiting times of up to three hours at some European hubs. In late December, Lisbon Airport halted EES processing for three months over “serious deficiencies” in staffing, while Justine Coutard, Deputy Chief Executive of Aéroports de Paris, has said that Paris airports have encountered difficulties processing traveller data, even during limited trials. “We remain very much in favour of a gradual approach… [and] would not be opposed to implementation being postponed until after the summer,” she told a recent press conference.

Prolonged queues and potential missed departures raise the prospect of increased claims for delays, missed connections, and associated accommodation costs as Europe braces for one of its busiest summers yet.