As Europe moves closer to the full launch of its biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), concerns are intensifying across the aviation and travel sectors. Industry bodies warn that without urgent operational flexibility, border delays could escalate significantly during the peak summer season — placing airlines, airports and tour operators under strain.
Early Rollout Reveals Capacity Challenges
The EU’s Entry/Exit System, designed to digitally register biometric data for non-EU nationals entering and exiting the Schengen Area, is set to become fully operational on 9 April 2026.
However, even during the current phased implementation — which applies to roughly 35% of eligible travelers — airports are already experiencing border control delays of up to two hours in some locations.
In a joint communication, ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe (A4E), and IATA cautioned that if such congestion is occurring at partial deployment, full mandatory enrollment during July and August could push waiting times to four hours or more at major hubs.
Key Factors Behind the Bottlenecks
The disruption stems from three primary operational challenges:
- Insufficient Border Staffing: Many Schengen states do not currently have enough trained personnel to process biometric registrations efficiently during peak arrival periods.
- Technical Constraints: System glitches and integration issues are slowing passenger throughput at both automated and manual control points.
- Limited Use of Pre-Registration Tools: The Frontex pre-registration application, intended to streamline processing times, has not been widely adopted by Member States, reducing its effectiveness.
These factors combined suggest that the system’s scalability remains under pressure as traffic volumes build.
Regulatory Uncertainty Adds Complexity
Under existing EU regulation, the transitional rollout phase — along with certain suspension mechanisms — is due to expire in early July 2026, just as summer travel peaks. Industry leaders are urging the European Commission to confirm that Member States will retain the ability to partially or fully suspend EES requirements through October 2026 if operational conditions demand it.
Without explicit legal clarity, border authorities may lack the flexibility to ease checks during periods of extreme congestion — increasing the likelihood of disruption across the network.
For travel businesses, this regulatory ambiguity complicates forward planning.
The operational impact of EES will be felt across the travel ecosystem. Airlines are likely to face increased pressure on minimum connection times, a higher risk of missed onward transfers, disruption to aircraft rotations and crew scheduling, and greater exposure to customer service and compensation challenges. Airports may experience added strain on arrival hall and border control infrastructure, more complex queue management requirements, and the need to divert staff and terminal space away from commercial activity to support operations.
For tour operators and travel agents, the challenges are expected to include a rise in customer complaints, tighter and less flexible touring schedules, higher costs associated with disruption recovery, and a growing need for clearer, more proactive pre-departure communication with travelers.
Destination Perception at Stake
Beyond the operational impact, prolonged border queues risk affecting Europe’s competitiveness as a global destination. For long-haul source markets such as the UK, US and Asia-Pacific, arrival experience plays a critical role in overall perception. A summer characterized by extensive waiting times could have longer-term reputational consequences for inbound tourism.
The Case for Proactive Planning
With Summer 2026 bookings already progressing, travel businesses should be preparing mitigation strategies now. Considerations may include:
- Building additional arrival time buffers into itineraries
- Reviewing connection schedules at high-risk airports
- Communicating realistic arrival expectations to clients
- Monitoring regulatory developments closely
- Coordinating contingency plans with airport and airline partners
A Defining Moment for European Border Modernisation
The aviation industry’s message is clear: unless operational flexibility is introduced swiftly, peak-season disruption remains a genuine risk. The months ahead will determine whether EES delivers on its promise of smarter, digitalised borders — or whether its full rollout coincides with one of the most challenging summers European airports have faced in recent years. For the travel trade, strategic preparation will be essential.
