The EES biometric identification system has caused hours-long queues at airports in six European countries. Industry organizations are sounding the alarm and demanding to suspend the system until the end of summer.
The Airports Council International (ACI) warned that the new biometric border control system EES, which went into full operation on April 10, has created hours-long queues at airports in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Greece, and that the situation threatens to turn into a "collapse" by the summer tourist season, the London newspaper The Guardian reported on Wednesday, April 15, as noted by DW.
Olivier Jankovec, head of ACI Europe, stated that during peak hours, passengers are already forced to wait up to three hours. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called the system "a complete disgrace and a shambles" and compared it to "punishment for Brexit." He urged to postpone the full launch of EES until October, citing queues of up to four hours at several airports.
Industry Demands
Industry representatives demanded that the European Commission allow border services to completely suspend the system during excessive delays.
At Milan's Linate Airport, out of 156 passengers on an EasyJet flight to Manchester, only 34 managed to board - the remaining 122 did not pass through security in time, and the plane departed without them. The airline offered free ticket transfers but refused to take responsibility for the incident.
European Commission Disagrees with Criticism
The European Commission disagreed with the criticism: according to its data, the system is operating normally, and it takes an average of 70 seconds to process one traveler. ACI calls this figure unrealistic - according to the organization’s calculations, the actual time for the procedure is five times longer.
The system has been gradually rolled out since October 2025, with the pioneers being the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Luxembourg. EES replaced the manual stamping of passports: now, third-country nationals entering the Schengen Area undergo biometric registration - providing photos and fingerprints. By April 10, 2026, all 29 Schengen countries will have transitioned to the system. EU citizens, residence permit holders, and diplomats are exempt from the procedure.
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