Airport and airline groups seek changes to EU border system as waits hit five hours

Two industry bodies representing airports and carriers have asked the European Commission and Schengen member states to change the Entry/Exit System (EES), saying border delays are leading to missed flights, broken connections and crowded terminals.

ACI EUROPE and Airlines for Europe (A4E) said that almost six months after the system was fully introduced, waiting times still regularly exceed two hours and can stretch to five hours when traffic peaks. The groups put the disruption down to too few border staff, IT systems that are not stable, limited use of self-service kiosks and automated gates, and problems with the Travel to Europe pre-registration app.

They set out a six-point plan. It includes removing duplicate checks, improving how biometric verification is carried out, preventing duplicated passenger profiles, upgrading the app and web portal, and widening harmonised automated border control for third-country nationals. The plan also calls for a permanent arrangement under which biometric registration could be suspended temporarily when queues grow too long.

The organisations said the system does add to border security, but argued the delays come from structural problems rather than teething troubles during the rollout. They called on authorities to bring in the changes quickly and to work with airports and airlines on them.