Travellers face hours-long wait at European airports post EES system launch

Multiple European airports have reported significant delays following the rollout of the EU’s new electronic border control system, with passengers waiting up to three hours at immigration checkpoints.

The disruptions were reported at airports in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Financial Times.

“This situation, in the coming weeks and certainly over the peak summer months, is going to be simply unmanageable,” Olivier Jankovec, Director of the European Division at Airports Council International (ACI), told the outlet.

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which came fully into effect last week, requires travellers from non-EU countries — including the UK — to register personal data and biometric information upon their first entry into the bloc.

The system has been gradually rolled out since October at selected airports and is intended to strengthen border security by improving tracking of entries and exits across the EU.

Airport operators and the European Commission held talks on April 14 to address the disruptions, with ACI calling for an extension of current exemptions and the option to suspend the checks entirely if necessary.

“We need the ability to fully suspend EES registration whenever there are excessive waiting times at border control that are just unmanageable,” Jankovec said.

According to the report, the system’s rollout has been repeatedly delayed due to technical issues, cybersecurity concerns and uneven implementation across member states. The European Commission and ACI said many airports are still only collecting basic personal data rather than full biometric information.

The border delays come amid broader concerns over energy security, with warnings that jet fuel supplies could be strained due to disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the context of Middle East tensions. The European Commission noted during the meeting that “supply issues could occur in the near future.”

By Nazrin Sadigova