Airports, airlines urge immediate Schengen EES review over peak queue fears
ACI Europe (Airports Council International), A4E (Airlines for Europe), and IATA (International Air Transport Association) have warned that the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) is continuing to cause significant passenger delays.
Without immediate action to introduce greater flexibility, severe disruptions during the peak summer season are likely, with queues potentially reaching four hours or more.
In a letter sent to Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, airports and airlines highlighted ongoing excessive wait times of up to two hours at airport border control during the current phase of the EES rollout, which requires the registration of 35% of all third-country nationals entering the Schengen area.
They identified three main factors worsening delays: chronic understaffing at border control, unresolved technology issues — particularly involving automated border systems — and the limited adoption by Schengen states of the Frontex pre-registration app.
The organizations warned that unless immediate corrective measures are implemented, mandatory EES registration for all border crossings during peak summer months, especially July and August, could result in waiting times of four hours or more.
They also urged the European Commission to confirm that Schengen member states will retain the option to partially or fully suspend EES until the end of October 2026.
Under the progressive rollout outlined in Regulation 2025/1534, current suspension mechanisms would expire after early July, and it remains unclear whether sufficient flexibility will exist under the Schengen Border Control Code to ease checks if needed.
Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe; Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E; and Thomas Reynaert, IATA’s Senior Vice President for External Affairs, said there is a “complete disconnect” between EU institutions’ perception that EES is functioning well and the reality faced by non-EU travelers experiencing major delays and inconvenience.
They stressed that flexibility in the rollout is essential to manage operational challenges during peak travel periods and to protect the EU’s reputation as an efficient and welcoming destination.
Among airports facing long delays at borders due to EES are Paris CDG, Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca, Tenerife, Milan Malpensa and Rome Fiumicino, Lisbon (EES temporarily suspended), Frankfurt, Geneva (temporarily suspended) and Vienna.
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