Europe’s airports and airlines are warning that the European Commission’s new Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) is causing severe disruptions, with waiting times at border control reaching up to five hours during peak periods. In an open letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, industry groups said the system is failing passengers and operations just as the summer travel season begins.
The letter, dated July 1, 2026, was signed by A4E, ACI EUROPE, and IATA. It says the current implementation of the EES has created “severe operational consequences” that are putting border authorities, airports, and airlines under “unsustainable pressure.”
Airports and airlines call for emergency action on border delays
Since the full rollout of the system in April, delays have grown dramatically, with waiting times reaching the same peak levels. The industry groups state that this has affected families with young children, elderly passengers, and people with reduced mobility.
Flight delays, missed connections, and strain on frontline staff have followed.
Member states have been allowed to temporarily suspend collection of biometric data until early September. That flexibility has offered some relief, but they note it “has not prevented excessive queues for passengers.”
Related: Emirates Increases Dubai-Nairobi Flights
July and August alone will bring roughly 40 million more passengers through European airports than the previous two months. The industry groups warn that without more flexibility, the situation will get worse.
“This is not an issue confined to Europe’s largest hubs,” they say.
Smaller airports serving tourism destinations are equally affected, with passengers queuing outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control can’t keep up.
Airlines have been forced to close gates with half-empty planes while passengers are stuck in border lines.
Brussels defends EES as working well – industry disagrees
They push back against recent statements from the European Commission.
Related: WestJet debuts Blue Jays-themed plane
On June 25, a Commission spokesperson told reporters that the system is “fully operational and working well” and that long waiting times are mostly due to “concentration of flights in specific slots.” The industry response is blunt: flight schedules are known a year in advance, and the rollout of EES was supposed to adapt to those realities.
“The success of the system cannot be measured solely by its technical deployment,” the groups argue. It must also function within the operational environment it was designed for. At present, the system “is failing to deliver one of its core objectives: facilitating efficient border crossings.”
The groups are concerned about Europe’s reputation.
Some international travelers are already reconsidering trips to Europe because of the prospect of excessive border delays, they say.
That situation undermines tourism and connectivity.
Related: Luxury shops face deeper hospitality issues
What the industry wants from the Commission
They make three immediate requests. First, the Commission should give member states full flexibility to suspend the system preventively whenever passenger volumes exceed the capacity of border control facilities, at least through July and August. Second, by September, a permanent operational flexibility mechanism should be created, allowing border authorities to suspend its procedures under clearly defined exceptional circumstances. Third, those flexibility measures should remain in place until structural challenges are fully addressed: adequate staffing at border crossing points, full stability of both the central system platform and national interfaces, complete deployment of self-service kiosks and automated gates, and a functional pre-registration app across all member states.
They emphasize that this does not mean abandoning border checks. It means temporarily pausing the system when needed and reverting to standard Schengen border code checks, including passport stamping.
The industry groups say they fully support the objectives of the system. “Security and efficient border management are complementary goals – not competing ones,” they write. Achieving both requires recognizing operational realities and responding with pragmatism.
The letter calls on the Commission to demonstrate leadership and flexibility to protect both the integrity of the Schengen Area and the millions of passengers who rely on Europe’s air transport system every day.
The letter ends with a plea for urgent attention.