- As Europe prepares for one of its busiest travel seasons in recent years, the success of the Entry/Exit System will be closely watched by governments, airlines, airports, and travelers alike. For now, aviation officials are urging passengers to plan ahead, arrive early, and prepare for potentially longer waits as the continent adapts to a new era of digital border controls.
Millions of travelers heading to Europe this summer could face lengthy airport queues and travel disruptions as the European Union rolls out its new Entry/Exit System (EES), prompting fresh warnings from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The aviation industry’s leading trade body has cautioned that waiting times at some airports could stretch to several hours during peak travel periods, raising concerns about missed flights, delayed connections, and growing pressure on border control infrastructure across the continent.
Speaking at IATA’s 82nd Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe, said signs of disruption are already emerging in several countries even before the busiest holiday season begins.
According to IATA, airports in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium and other European destinations have reported delays linked to the implementation of the new system. Airlines have already recorded cases of passengers missing flights and connecting services because of prolonged border processing times.
One of the main concerns raised by airlines is the increase in processing time required for each passenger.
IATA estimates that a traditional passport check typically takes between 20 and 25 seconds. Under the EES process, however, registration and verification can take approximately 90 seconds per traveler.
While the additional time may appear modest on an individual basis, the impact becomes substantial when thousands of passengers arrive simultaneously at major international airports.
Industry experts warn that the combination of longer processing times, staffing shortages, and technical challenges could create bottlenecks at immigration counters during the summer travel rush.
Airports and airlines have identified several factors contributing to the delays. These include insufficient staffing levels at border control points, technical glitches affecting biometric registration equipment, and difficulties integrating EU-wide systems with national border databases.
The complexity of coordinating border procedures across multiple countries has added to operational pressures, particularly at major gateways handling large volumes of international arrivals.
Schvartzman noted that even when the system operates as intended, processing times remain significantly longer than before. Any technical malfunction or system outage could further increase waiting times, Gulf News reports.
The timing of the rollout is particularly significant as Europe enters one of its busiest tourism seasons.
Millions of visitors are expected to travel across the continent during the summer months, with airports already preparing for heavy passenger traffic. Industry observers fear that prolonged queues could affect the overall travel experience and place additional strain on airlines and airport operators.
IATA is advising travelers to allow substantially more time for airport procedures and to arrive earlier than usual before departure.
The organization is also urging authorities to expand the use of pre-registration applications, improve staffing levels, and maintain flexibility in the implementation of the system while operational challenges are addressed.
