The EES, which began phased implementation on 12
October 2025, involves the registration and biometric data capture of
third-country nationals entering the Schengen area. According to ACI Europe,
the current roll-out has led to border control processing times at airports
increasing by up to 70%, with waiting times reaching as much as three hours
during peak traffic periods. Airports in France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Italy, Portugal and Spain are among those most affected.
ACI Europe attributes the situation to a combination of unresolved operational issues. These include recurring system outages that undermine the reliability of border processes, configuration problems linked to the partial deployment or unavailability of self-service kiosks, and the continued absence of Automated Border Control gates capable of handling EES procedures at many airports. Additional constraints include the lack of an effective pre-registration application and insufficient numbers of border guards, reflecting staffing shortages within the responsible authorities.
Olivier Jankovec,
Director General of ACI Europe, warned that the current situation is already
placing significant strain on both passengers and airport operations. “Significant
discomfort is already being inflicted upon travelers, and airport operations
impacted with the current threshold for registering third country nationals set
at only 10%,” he said. He added that unless the outstanding
issues are resolved in the coming weeks, the planned increase of the
registration threshold to 35% from 9 January, in line with the EES
implementation calendar, “will inevitably result in much more severe congestion and
systemic disruption for airports and airlines,” potentially
creating serious safety risks.
Jankovec
stressed that ACI Europe supports the objectives of the Entry-Exit System and
remains committed to its successful implementation. However, he cautioned
against proceeding without stabilising the system. “We fully understand and support the importance
of the EES and remain fully committed to its implementation. But the EES cannot
be about mayhem for travelers and chaos at our airports,” he
said. “If
the current operational issues cannot be addressed and the system stabilised by
early January, we will need swift action from the European Commission and
Schengen Member States to allow additional flexibility in its roll-out.”