For those of you who have been reading these newsletters for a while, you may remember that I’ve been writing some version of this since the mid-2000s. In fact, Boys of Summer has been my unofficial soundtrack for the first post-GBTA Convention newsletter for years. Summer is over, governments are back from recess—or frantically trying to finish things before they escape for the next one—and the global policy machine is shifting back into high gear.
And apparently, it spent the summer getting busy.
This month, governments have blessed us with more biometrics, more apps, more regulations, more committees, more consultations, and—because apparently we hadn’t suffered enough—more acronyms. It’s basically The Amazing Race, except the prize is getting to your meeting on time and there are no fun challenges, just kiosks that may or may not recognize your face.
Over in Europe, the Entry/Exit System is officially up and running. Sort of. The EU says it’s operational; airports, travelers, and technology are continuing to work through the exciting sequel: “But Why Is This Kiosk Not Working?” Travel managers should prepare travelers, build in extra time, and keep an eye on how the system performs in the real world. Because nothing says seamless border modernization quite like wondering whether you’ll make your connection.
Meanwhile, the EU Passenger Package is moving forward, threatening to make rail booking, content access, disruption management, and corporate travel distribution even more interesting. Because apparently booking a train wasn’t complicated enough without adding another layer of commercial terms, liability questions, digital rules, and several dozen people in Brussels debating who is responsible when the train inevitably does something unexpected.
In Washington, Congress is keeping the government funded through December 11—so congratulations, everyone gets to keep using airports and crossing borders without adding “potential federal shutdown” to the pre-trip checklist. For now. And the Quiet Skies Act is still flying around Capitol Hill, which could put an end to in-flight Wi-Fi calls. A bipartisan solution to one of the great questions of our time: Should your seatmate really have to listen to you say “Can you see my screen?” at 35,000 feet?
And then there’s Canada and the UK, where GBTA is pushing on aviation taxes, visitor levies, connectivity, business events, rail reform, and traveler-processing infrastructure. In other words, the usual gentle reminder to governments that business travelers are not an infinite source of revenue and airports are not escape rooms.
The takeaway? Policy doesn’t stay in Brussels, Washington, Ottawa, or London. It eventually lands in your travel program, hits your travelers’ itineraries, changes what they pay, affects how they book, and occasionally asks them to download yet another app.
So grab your coffee. Check your passport. Charge your phone. Download the app you apparently need now. And join us for another month of “Business Travel: Surely This Could Be Simpler.”
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The Essentials
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Global StageEU Entry/Exit System (EES) Delays Put Business Travel Planning to the Test What EES is: (Slow Learner)The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated border-management system for non-EU nationals making short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the 29 European countries using the system. It replaces routine passport stamping with a digital record of a traveler’s entry, exit or refusal of entry, using travel-document information, a facial image and, where required, fingerprints. First-time travelers generally must register their data at a border checkpoint, self-service kiosk or participating country’s mobile application; on later trips, border authorities verify the stored biometrics. The system is intended to identify overstays, strengthen security and make border processing more efficient over time. What’s New: EES was introduced progressively beginning in October 2025 and became fully operational across participating external border crossings on 10 April 2026. During the transition, national authorities could temporarily suspend parts of biometric enrollment at individual crossings when congestion became excessive. That temporary safeguard expired on 6 September, even as some airports, ports and rail terminals continued to report technology problems, staffing constraints and uneven access to kiosks, automated gates and pre-registration tools. How Europe Is Responding: The European Commission has said EES broadly worked as intended over the summer and has not announced a formal extension of the expired flexibility period. Instead, Brussels is working with Member States on adjustments at specific border-crossing points. Nine participating countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland—have sought additional time or flexibility at locations that are not yet ready for full biometric processing. The response is therefore targeted rather than a system-wide postponement: major hubs including Frankfurt and Schiphol are processing biometrics, while implementation remains incomplete at some smaller airports and cross-Channel facilities.
What Business Travelers Need to Know About the New Trusted Traveler App What’s New: (Don’t Look Back in Anger) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is replacing the existing Global Entry mobile app with a new Trusted Traveler App. While the name is changing, the underlying programs and benefits remain the same. Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI members will continue to use their trusted traveler memberships to expedite entry into the United States after international travel. The change primarily creates a single digital platform for managing all Trusted Traveler Programs.
Together, these programs allow pre-approved, low-risk travelers to move more efficiently through border controls while maintaining strong security standards. Tags: GBTA Convention GBTA |
