Airport

The new European border management system, called EES (Entry/Exit System), has come into operation on 10 April 2026. It is a European database enabling the digital collection of personal data from third-country nationals, whether visa-exempt or not, upon their entry into and exit from the 29 Schengen-area countries. This device was introduced to modernize controls at Europe’s external borders.

It gradually replaces the manual passport stamp with a digital record of non-European travelers’ entries and exits, including biometric data such as a facial photograph and fingerprints.

However, since its rollout at airports, the system has caused disruptions, notably long queues for travelers. Indeed, according to a recent Financial Times statement, several affected countries placed late orders for the biometric data-collection machines required to implement this device, which could significantly disrupt travel during the peak summer season.

A new European border system that could disrupt air travel this summer

Marco Troncone, the head of Rome Airports, recently told a British media outlet that he was “very worried about the summer” and that “the EES system must be suspended to avoid a catastrophe.” Indeed, the situation has already caused concern in Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium and Greece, where authorities have sometimes suspended biometric checks to prevent airport saturation, while American and British holidaymakers prepare to flock to the continent. Olivier Jankovec, head of the airport industry association ACI Europe, meanwhile warns that the “system is not functioning”.

Originally, the automated system was designed to process each passenger in less than a minute. But when it is out of service or malfunctioning, customs officers must revert to manual checks, including fingerprint collection. This is why wait times can grow substantially for travelers, especially since many airports require a single queue for all passengers.

According to ACI Europe’s findings, drawn from 45 airports across 20 countries, passengers wait up to three and a half hours to be served. Smaller airports have been particularly affected by the new device, notably the Greek islands of Corfu and Zakynthos, which require travelers to wait on the tarmac. According to Olivier Jankovec, the European Commission “from the start, ignored the operational implications of the device. For weeks and months, they refused to see that we had problems”, he revealed.

European airports adapt their strategies to address EES-related challenges

To mitigate the difficulties related to implementing the EES, some member states are organizing as best they can. Malta has announced a contract with an Italian company specializing in artificial intelligence for installing facial-image capture kiosks, while the Czech government awarded a contract for fingerprint readers at Prague Airport. Meanwhile, Ryanair has asked Spain to suspend its entry authorization system, described as “half-baked” after complaining of “excessive” queues that can reach up to an hour at passport controls.

Switzerland has already had a glimpse of the disruptions the EES could bring this summer, its airports having faced long delays during the winter ski season. At Geneva Airport, queues for non-EU passengers reached up to two and a half hours, prompting authorities to double staff in the arrivals hall. The European Commission, for its part, has repeatedly stressed that the system is functioning correctly and that member states have the flexibility to temporarily suspend biometric checks until September.

According to Commission figures, the new system has already logged more than 108 million entries since October and has denied access to 42,000 people, including 1,100 deemed security risks. Moreover, a Commission spokesperson recently reaffirmed that it is up to member states to ensure proper deployment of the border-management operating system on the ground. The smooth operation of borders must be guaranteed by member states through a sufficient number of border guards and automated solutions, such as self-service kiosks and electronic gates.