Overview
- The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since April and replaces passport stamping by recording visitors’ identity, fingerprints and a photo at Schengen external borders.
- Since the April rollout several airports have reported much longer border waits, with industry groups citing delays of up to five hours and videos showing passengers queued outside terminals.
- Airport operators and airlines including ACI Europe, Airlines 4 Europe, IATA and carriers such as Ryanair have sent an open letter asking for the option to suspend EES checks during the July‑August peak.
- The European Commission says the system is working, blames preexisting staff and infrastructure limits for many delays, and has pledged meetings with industry representatives in the coming days to seek solutions.
- Industry warns peak summer volumes could add about 40 million passengers and that uneven national responses, such as Greece’s suspension of checks for British travellers, risk reputational damage to tourism and require coordinated short‑term measures.