European airports at ‘critical point’ due to EES, warns trade body

Aviation industry leaders continue to warn of mass disruption this summer due to the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), arguing that airports are at a ‘critical point’.

Airports Council International (ACI) urged “immediate intervention before the situation deteriorates further during the peak summer travel season.”

It made the remarks in an open letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen alongside (Airlines for Europe) A4E and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The ACI, Europe’s airports trade body, said waiting times of up to five hours have been recorded across Europe, and severe disruption has led to chaos on numerous flights. 

The agency’s intervention follows dozens of reports of EES-related disruption in France – including Toulouse – and across the EU.

At the UK Port of Dover (subject to EES checks), a £40 million installation of self-service kiosks intended to aid with EES registration is expected to remain closed over the summer.

As Europe enters peak travel season – with up to 40 million additional passengers expected in July - August compared to May - June, the system risks complete malfunction. 

It is calling for EU member states to be allowed to completely suspend EES measures preventatively in the summer, as well as establish a “permanent operational flexibility mechanism” from September onwards.

“The success of EES cannot be measured solely by its technical deployment… at present, the system is failing to deliver one of its core objectives: facilitating efficient border crossings while maintaining the smooth functioning of Europe's transport network.”

The border security measure requires all visitors to the EU without an EU/EEA/Swiss passport or residency card to be digitally tracked, as well as hand over biometric data (facial photo and fingerprints).

At least one piece of data is checked upon leaving the Schengen area. 

EES criticism mounts

Last week, ACI president Stefan Schulte said the EU should “stop pretending... that EES is working just fine. It is not.”

“Passengers are queueing for hours at peak traffic times and I just do not know how we will be able to cope in the coming weeks with the expected increase in traffic,” he said at an industry event in Prague.

Airports in Rome threatened to suspend EES due to overwhelming queues, with others in Lisbon and Greece reporting hours-long delays.

Passengers leaving the EU for a non-Schengen destination are now being advised to turn up to the airport at least three hours before their flight by some airlines.

Budget airline Ryanair recently upped its criticism of EES, citing major delays at several popular airports including Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, Malaga, Milan Bergamo, Krakow and Paris Beauvais. 

“Passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system that risks creating long queues, missed flights and unnecessary stress at airports this summer,” said the airline’s COO Neal McMahon in a press release. 

The airline is calling for the EU to delay EES until after September to avoid summer chaos.

Likewise, the ACI reports that both major airport hubs as well as smaller airports serving tourist hotspots are at risk, and in some cases queues now stretch outdoors.

Passengers entering the EU are faced with growing queues, and there have been reports of several instances of people flying to a non-Schengen destination and missing their flight due to increased control times.

More suspension tools demanded

“Since the full rollout of the EES in April, waiting times at border control have increased significantly, now reaching up to five hours during peak traffic periods,” said the ACI.

“These delays are impacting millions of passengers entering the Schengen Area, including families travelling with young children, elderly passengers and persons with reduced mobility.” 

The ACI acknowledged that EU regulations allow for partial suspension of the EES until September, but said this does not go far enough. 

“While this measure has provided some relief, it has not prevented excessive queues for passengers nor preserved airport and airline operations.”

Temporary suspension of biometric information capture is only allowed once airport queues reach a certain length, hence the ACI’s demand to implement them pre-emptively before queues form. 

The ACI recommends full EES suspension whenever “passenger volumes exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities, at least throughout July and August,” but possibly further. 

It called for the introduction of a “permanent operational flexibility mechanism” after the summer period which would allow for suspensions whenever certain thresholds are met, to prevent queues at any period. 

This mechanism should be in place until a series of major requirements are met, says the ACI, including: 

• Adequate staffing levels at airport border crossing points

• Full stability and reliability of both the central EES platform and national interfaces

• Complete operational and fully functional deployment of Self-Service Kiosks and ABC gates across member states

• Full functionality and deployment across all member states of a pre-registration app

Currently, Brussels has not given any indication that EES suspension will be provided for after September, and from this point all border points will need to constantly use the system unless new exemptions are made possible. 

The EU has consistently said that the EES is working as intended, and has criticised airlines and airports for tightly-packed flight schedules causing disruption. 

“Flight schedules are known a year in advance and respond to passengers’ connectivity needs,” said the ACI.

“The roll-out of EES was meant to be adapted to the realities of passenger numbers, peak season and peak hours of travel – all of which are known well in advance and are in no way a surprise.”