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Europe Airport Queues Hit 2 Hours
Airports report queues up to two hours due to biometric checks and staff shortages as full registration of third-country nationals begins under the EU Entry/Exit System.
- The Airports Council International and Airlines for Europe warned on Monday that the requirement to register 100 per cent of third-country nationals, effective March 31st, risks deteriorating border waiting times further.
- Since October 12th, 2025, the Entry-Exit System has been introduced across 29 Schengen countries, requiring travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images instead of manual passport stamps.
- Waiting times now regularly reach up to two hours at peak traffic, with airports in Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and Italy reporting the longest delays among all Schengen nations.
- Industry groups are urging the European Commission to extend the ability to fully or partially suspend the system through the 2026 summer season to manage potential extended queues.
- After the April 9th deadline, Member States will no longer be able to fully suspend the system in response to operational pressures, removing a key safeguard currently used to manage peak demand.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Local - AT
European airports record longer waits at borders as EES deadline looms
European airports and airlines organisations issued on Monday the latest warning about the next implementation phase of the EU's new biometric border system, “as the transition phase comes to an end right in the travel peak of the Easter holidays.”
A few days before the end of the transition period of the Entry/Exit System (EES), European airports and airlines are again sounding the alarm bell. They are already observing queues of up to two hours at the airport border controls and fear a worsening with the mandatory biometric registration of all non-Schengen travellers, while the Easter traffic peak opens. In a joint press release published on 30 March 2026 in Brussels, ACI Europe, which r…
France set to miss EES deadline for registering all travellers – The Connexion – EUROP INFO
France is poised to miss the European Entry/Exit System (EES) deadline aimed at registering all travellers entering and leaving the Schengen Area, according to recent reports in The Connexion. The delay raises concerns about compliance with EU regulations designed to enhance border security and improve migration management. As the deadline approaches, questions mount over the country’s preparedness and the potential implications for both travell…
The introduction of the European entry exit system falls into the middle of Easter travel time. Airport and airline associations warn of further rising waiting times – and demand that the possibility of complete suspension of the system be maintained throughout the summer.
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