Concerns intensified after reports highlighted queues lasting up to three hours at airports such as Madrid-Barajas and Rome-Fiumicino, despite the fact that only a limited proportion of passengers are currently being processed under the new system. These waits already exceed pre-pandemic levels by a wide margin, fuelling traveller frustration and industry anxiety about the impact if congestion worsens during the months of highest tourist demand.
Industry organisations including Airports Council International (ACI Europe) and the UK travel association ABTA have sent letters to the European Commission requesting that border authorities be allowed to relax—or even temporarily suspend—EES requirements at times of severe congestion. They argue that the system is not yet ready to handle efficiently the very high volumes expected this summer and that, without coordinated intervention, waits could extend to five hours or more, causing flight delays, missed connections, extensive queues and a highly frustrating experience for millions of international visitors.
The situation is not confined to a single country. Airports in Spain, France, Italy and Austria have reported significant increases in processing times at border checkpoints since biometric technology began to be used, prompting several member states to call for flexibility in applying the system to prevent the problem from escalating as the European summer approaches.
In response to these concerns, the European Commission has confirmed that member states may apply certain flexibility clauses in rolling out the EES, allowing, for example, the use of manual stamps or other temporary measures if infrastructure and staffing levels cannot manage passenger volumes without creating severe congestion. The idea is that such flexibility could mitigate the worst effects of delays during June, July and August, when international travel typically reaches its annual peak.
Nevertheless, the need for contingency measures underscores a tension between the EU’s modernisation objectives and the operational realities faced by airports and border services. While the regulation is intended to strengthen security and border management, current conditions at several European airports suggest that infrastructure and staff training are not yet fully prepared to absorb the burden of mandatory, universal biometric processing without affecting the passenger experience.
The anticipated repercussions are not limited to leisure travellers. Companies that rely on the efficient movement of international staff have also begun adjusting their summer logistics, including rescheduling connections and increasing layover times to reduce the risk of disruption to business travel.
Against this backdrop, travel experts recommend that anyone planning to visit Europe this year stay informed about the changes, check biometric entry requirements in advance and allow extra time when arriving at airports. At the same time, the tourism industry continues to press for EU authorities to manage the transition to the new system more pragmatically, in order to safeguard not only border security but also the competitiveness of European tourism at a critical moment in the post-pandemic recovery.
