Airlines and airports demand EU suspend border checks as five-hour queues hit summer travel

Rising queues across Europe

Since the Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational in April 2026, non-EU travellers have faced severe delays at Schengen border controls. Industry groups ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe and IATA warned in an open letter that wait times now reach up to five hours at peak periods. Ryanair identified seven airports already experiencing major disruption: Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante and Malaga in Spain, Milan Bergamo in Italy, Krakow in Poland and Paris Beauvais in France. Berlin Airport reported queues of one to two hours, while Dover and Eurotunnel terminals have also seen long waits.

Industry calls for immediate suspension

In their letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the groups declared that “we have reached a critical point” and demanded the flexibility for member states to completely suspend EES checks whenever passenger numbers exceed operational capacity. Ryanair’s chief operating officer Neal McMahon said that “passengers and families should not be used as guinea pigs for a half-baked passport control system.” The World Travel and Tourism Council endorsed the call, warning that up to 41 million passengers could face disruption this summer.

Operational strain and passenger impact

Flights have been departing with cabins half empty because passengers are stuck in border queues. In May, a critical incident at the Port of Dover saw waits reach four and a half hours. Passenger Anne Robinson described arriving at Rome airport three and a half hours before her flight only to find most EES machines out of order; she and her son missed their flight home after a 90-minute queue. The lobby groups said that some international travellers are now reconsidering their European trips because of the risk of excessive delays.

Commission response

The European Commission has invited air industry representatives to an urgent meeting next Tuesday to discuss concerns. Individual member states already had an option to suspend biometric collection until early September, but the industry argues this flexibility has failed to prevent the disruption. Airlines and airports want a full suspension at least for July and August, with Ryanair calling for a postponement until September and others suggesting a year-long pause.

Outlook for peak summer

European airports expect to handle roughly 40 million more passengers in July and August than the previous two months. Without additional measures, industry leaders say the situation will deteriorate further, undermining the reputation of Europe as a welcoming destination.

There are so many sub-systems for each and every member state. The complexity doesn't really support smooth processing at the border.