A crowded check-in counter at an international airport. [123rf]
A crowded check-in counter at an international airport. [123rf]

Chaos is spreading across Europe as the EU rolls out its new Entry/Exit System, with widespread delays reported at airports and some passengers missing flights after hours-long waits. Airport operators are calling for the system to be suspended entirely before peak summer travel demand overwhelms the continent's aviation network.

EES rollout paralyzes airports, strands over 100 passengers on single flight

EU airports have warned that the bloc's newly introduced Entry/Exit System could trigger widespread travel disruption this summer, the Financial Times reported Sunday.

The EES is a digital border management system that collects biometric data — fingerprints and facial photographs — from non-EU travelers on short-term stays. It was designed to replace passport stamps, improve border efficiency and strengthen security by detecting document fraud and illegal entry.

The system entered a pilot phase last October and began full implementation in mid-April, but technical problems and inadequate preparation have caused widespread confusion on the ground. At some airports, fingerprint scanners have been taken offline after becoming smeared with sweat, and self-service kiosks have been left out of service for extended periods following software updates.

Delays have also surged because some returning travelers are being asked to resubmit their fingerprints and facial data. Passengers at several airports have missed flights after waiting in line for hours. In April, more than 100 passengers at Milan's Linate Airport missed a flight to Manchester due to processing delays.

Waits of up to 6 hours reported at some airports; operators demand full suspension

The International Air Transport Association has warned that travelers heading to Europe this summer could face waits of up to six hours at passport control as the new digital border system buckles under peak-season crowds. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised citizens that delays of four to six hours are possible at some European airports and recommended bringing food and water when passing through them.

Airport operators fear the delays will worsen significantly once summer travel demand peaks, potentially disrupting entire aviation networks. The European Commission has allowed airports to temporarily suspend EES in certain circumstances through September to ease operational pressure. But some airports say a full suspension is the only way to prevent large-scale flight delays.

Marco Troncone, CEO of Rome's airport, told the Financial Times he was "very worried about the summer" and that EES must be halted "to avoid a catastrophe." He added that "the only solution is to open the valve" and that "there is no way we can achieve 100 percent registration."

Stefan Schulte, CEO of Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport, also raised the alarm, telling Euronews the issue was "keeping me and many airport CEOs across Europe awake at night." He argued that governments — not airports — must decide to suspend the system, and warned that peak demand is likely to persist well beyond early September, after which a "complete collapse of the system" could follow.


bbo@heraldcorp.com