EU Biometric Entry/Exit System Triggers Widespread Flight Delays at Paris Airport

On 16 March, a Stourbridge family missed their easyJet flight after more than 11 hours in queues at Paris Charles de Gaulle. The Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric screening forced passengers to repeat the process twice.

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EES replaces manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals, requiring fingerprints and facial photos to enforce a 90-day stay limit. It went live on 10 April. European Commission says it works “very well” in the “overwhelming majority” of states, while noting glitches.

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David Newton, 43, his wife Kimberly, 36, and daughter Frankie-Mae arrived three hours before their 10 am flight. Only a third of 15 passport-control booths were staffed and 25 registration kiosks were offline, causing a five-hour wait for the first check and a second four-hour queue after luggage re-check.

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• 15 passport-control booths (~33 % staffed) and ~25 EES kiosks non-functional; waits up to five minutes per check, versus the Commission’s 70-second average.

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• ACI Europe warns of delays up to three hours at peak times.

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EU Commission said the system works ‘very well’ in the ‘overwhelming majority’ of states; Nicolas Paulissen, delegate of Union des Aéroports Français (UAF), said French airports have suspended EES checks at hubs to avoid ‘tailbacks.’ Suspension is allowed in ‘exceptional circumstances’ causing long waits.

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ACI Europe, representing 600 airports, warned that “major concerns are now a reality,” urging suspension of EES as queues grow. Jet2 praised Greece’s halt of biometric checks for British travelers, calling it ‘significantly improve the arrival and departure experience.’ Passengers reported emotional distress, some crying about missed flights.

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The Commission cites a 70-second average registration, yet accounts describe five-minute manual checks and long queues. The EU says no nationality is exempt, but Greece, Portugal and Italy have paused EES processing. No contingency plan is announced for the September end of the grace period.

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• “It took about five hours to get through passport control.” — David Newton, 43, Stourbridge

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• “No one was actually coming out and explaining what was going on or that there was going to be delays.” — David Newton

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• “major concerns are now a reality” — ACI Europe

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• “expected to significantly improve the arrival and departure experience” — Jet2 spokesperson

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Greece, Portugal and Italy keep EES suspensions for British travelers, while other EU airports consider similar steps. The EU’s grace period ends in September; without action, biometric processing will resume, risking delays. Airlines promise rebooking on later flights without fees, but passenger confidence in European travel remains low.

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