Europe’s airports and airlines are sounding the alarm over the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), warning of potentially unprecedented travel chaos during the summer of 2026 if urgent action isn’t taken. The biometric border-control scheme, which replaces traditional passport stamps with automated fingerprint and facial recognition for non-EU nationals, has already led to significant delays at border checkpoints since its phased rollout began in October 2025. Now, as the EU prepares for the full implementation of EES by April 10, 2026, industry leaders are urging Brussels to postpone the system’s mandatory use until the end of October to avoid what they describe as “severe disruption” at Europe’s busiest airports and ports.
On February 11, 2026, a coalition of aviation groups—including Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE), Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA)—addressed a joint letter to EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner. Their message was clear: unless the European Commission intervenes to provide greater flexibility, the travel experience for millions of passengers could be marred by border queues stretching to four hours or more during the July–August peak. “There is a complete disconnect between the perception of the EU institutions that EES is working well, and the reality, which is that non-EU travellers are experiencing massive delays and inconvenience,” the groups stated, according to BBC and The Independent.
The EES is part of the EU’s broader push to digitize border management, aiming to improve security and track short-stay visitors more efficiently. Instead of a passport stamp, travelers from outside the Schengen zone—including Britons, Americans, and Australians—are now required to provide biometric data at dedicated kiosks. For first-time entries, both fingerprints and facial biometrics are collected; on subsequent trips, only one biometric is needed. The system is also foundational for the forthcoming European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a digital pre-clearance program for visa-exempt travelers, now scheduled for late 2026 after repeated delays.
In theory, the EES should streamline border crossings and bolster security. In practice, however, the transition has been anything but smooth. Since October, the phased rollout has required member states to register a growing percentage of third-country nationals—starting at 10% and rising to 35% as of January 2026. Even at this partial implementation, travelers have reported excessive waiting times of up to two hours at airport border controls. According to a report by ACI EUROPE, border processing times have increased by as much as 70%, with lines regularly stretching to three hours during busy periods. Some passengers have even missed flights due to the bottlenecks, and in December, Lisbon Airport suspended EES operations for three months after “serious deficiencies” led to waits of up to seven hours.
The aviation sector points to three main culprits behind the chaos: chronic understaffing at border control points, unresolved technology and automation issues, and poor adoption of the Frontex pre-registration app by Schengen states. “Unless immediate action is taken to resolve these critical issues, mandatory EES registrations of all border crossings during the peak summer season, in particular in July and August, would result in waiting times of up to four hours or more,” warned Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, alongside Ourania Georgoutsakou of A4E and Thomas Reynaert of IATA, in a statement cited by The Independent.
Despite these warnings, the European Commission has maintained that the EES rollout is “largely without issues.” Markus Lammert, a spokesperson for the Commission, told reporters, “The entry-exit system was successfully launched across member states in a progressive approach in October last year. This is a very big step forward for the EU in our collective security. With this digital system, we strengthen the security of our common borders and of the Union as a whole, and we make travelling smoother for all travellers.” He highlighted that 23 million entries and exits have already been logged and that the system’s gradual launch was designed to address teething problems as they arise.
However, the aviation industry argues that the challenges are far from resolved. They are particularly concerned about the upcoming summer travel surge, when airport traffic typically doubles. The uncertainty surrounding the EU’s flexibility provisions only adds to the anxiety. While the Commission recently updated EES requirements to allow member states to delay full deployment by up to 90 days after the April 10 deadline—with a possible 60-day extension through early September—industry leaders say it remains unclear whether this additional summer coverage will be granted. This ambiguity, they argue, hampers airlines’ and airports’ ability to plan for the busiest season.
“Failing immediate action to provide sufficient flexibility, severe disruptions over the peak summer months are a real prospect, with queues potentially reaching four hours or more,” the industry groups warned in their letter. Olivier Jankovec told the BBC that being able to pause the EES would be vital this summer if “the situation becomes unsustainable at border control.” Without such flexibility, and if problems related to technology and border guard numbers aren’t resolved, he cautioned that delays could reach five to six hours at the worst-affected airports.
The impact is already being felt at key gateways. Geneva Airport, a hub for British skiers heading to the Alps, and the Canary Islands, a popular holiday destination, are both under scrutiny for their preparedness. With the February half-term holidays approaching, concerns are mounting that many travelers could face “double red tape”—having to undergo both manual passport stamping and digital checks—until the full rollout concludes by April 9.
Travel trade association ABTA has also called for greater use of contingency measures by EU border officials, such as limiting checks or temporarily pausing the system to manage passenger flow. “Where problems have been experienced so far, some of these could have been avoided if the contingency measures were applied,” said Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA, according to Euronews.
At the heart of the debate is the EU’s reputation as a welcoming and efficient travel destination. With passenger volumes rebounding to pre-pandemic levels and airports already stretched during peak periods, the risk is that a botched EES rollout could undermine both traveler experience and Europe’s competitiveness. “The rollout of EES must be flexible to react to operational realities. This is an absolute prerequisite for its success—and for safeguarding the reputation of the EU as an efficient, welcoming and desirable destination,” stressed the joint statement from Europe’s leading aviation groups.
As the clock ticks toward the April deadline, all eyes are on the European Commission and member states to see whether they can resolve staffing shortages, iron out technical glitches, and provide the flexibility needed to avert a summer of border control chaos. The outcome will determine not just the fate of the EES, but also the smoothness of travel for millions across the continent—and the EU’s standing on the global stage.