Up to Five-Hour Queues Expected at European Airports Due to New Border System
Airlines and airports warn that the new Entry/Exit System (EES) could cause waiting times of up to five hours. EU Commission president acknowledges there is still much work to be done.
European airports and airlines have warned this week that the new automated border control system for non-EU nationals could lead to queues of up to five hours. They are urging the European Union to act immediately to prevent chaos during the upcoming summer travel season.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that the rollout of the system, which began last October, has been far from perfect. She said that "there is still quite a lot of work to be done" together with member states to resolve technical issues.
The system is being introduced gradually, starting with Czech Republic, Estonia, and Luxembourg. It replaces manual passport stamping: now third-country nationals entering the Schengen area must provide a photograph and fingerprints. EU citizens, residence permit holders, and diplomats are exempt.
EES is used by all EU countries except Ireland and Cyprus, as well as Schengen-associated states Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland.
Since October 2025, 108 million people have been registered entering or leaving the EU through the new system. 44,000 individuals were denied entry, mostly due to lack of a valid travel document or visa.
Airlines and airports have called on member states to allow a complete halt of the new checks during peak traffic periods. It is forecast that European airports will handle up to 40 million additional passengers this summer.
