Full Breakdown
EU Entry/Exit System Triggers Widespread Airport Delays Ahead of Summer Travel Surge
7/5/2026, 7:56:10 AM
EES Rollout Triggers Airport Queues
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) entered operation across the 29 Schengen states in April. Within weeks, passport-control queues lengthened at several hubs, with processing times doubling at Rome Fiumicino and average waits of 90 minutes (up to three hours) at Naples International.
Design and Staffing Shortfalls
Airport operators say the EES workflow adds extra steps, was designed with limited input from managers, and requires biometric capture, fingerprinting and photo taking, yet many sites lack sufficient border staff, kiosks or stable IT. Some terminals, such as the Eurostar desk at London St Pancras, have switched kiosks off. The central platform was built by Atos-Belgium with IBM Belgium and Leonardo.
Scale of Delays
- Rome Fiumicino invested €12 million; after optimisation processing is 90 seconds per passenger, still high for 50,000-60,000 daily users.
- Schiphol handles about 220,000 passengers daily and reports border impact during peak moments.
- Queues range from 90 minutes in Naples to up to six hours at several airports; airlines cite five-hour waits. The system flagged 7,000 overstayers; Eurocontrol expects a 2-5 % rise in flights, about 37,000 on the busiest days.
Official Reactions
Airports Council International (ACI) Europe has asked the European Commission to suspend EES in July–August and to allow suspension, while Greek tourism minister Olga Kefalogianni called for a European-level rethink. The Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen received ACI’s letter; the EC declined comment. EU rules permit up to six-hour temporary shutdowns, a flexibility Greece has used extensively but must end in September.
Airline and Airport Opposition
Ryanair chief operations officer Neal McMahon called EES “half-baked” and warned passengers are “guinea pigs.” Ryanair warned that Palma, Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife South, Milan Bergamo, Krakow and Paris Beauvais could face severe congestion. EasyJet chief executive Kenton Jarvis called the delays “completely unacceptable.” Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy praised Greece’s pause as “in the best interests of UK holidaymakers,” and Malta Air CEO David O’Brien urged a common-sense approach that puts holidaymakers first.
Conflicting Reports
Queue estimates vary: Naples cites 90-minute averages, while airlines report five-hour to six-hour waits at other sites. Only Portugal and Sweden currently offer pre-registration apps, limiting broader testing. The EC’s planned response remains unspecified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “rethought at a European level” — Olga Kefalogianni, Greek tourism minister
- “half-baked” — Neal McMahon, chief operations officer, Ryanair
- “completely unacceptable” — Kenton Jarvis, chief executive, easyJet
- “In light of disruptions across European airports, we think it is important that the deadlines are reconsidered at a European level.” — Spokesperson, Amsterdam Schiphol
Next Steps
ACI Europe will hold crisis talks with the Commission on Tuesday to seek a temporary suspension and flexibility for pre-registration and staffing. Airlines advise passengers to arrive early, and airports are adding seating and water facilities. The outcome will shape the busiest summer travel period on record.
