Renewed concerns have been raised ahead of the Easter break about the operational impact of the Schengen Entry-Exit System (EES) rollout, with the transition phase coming to an end during the time period. “Passengers entering the Schengen area are likely to wait even longer at border control during Easter due to the persisting operational challenges around the EES rollout,” Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of A4E, have highlighted.
Airlines and airports are rightfully concerned, with waiting times now regularly reaching up to two hours at peak traffic times, with some airports reporting even longer queues.
Critical milestones approaching, such as the requirement to register 100% of Third Country Nationals as of 31 March, followed by the end of the transition period on 9 April.
ACI EUROPE and A4E leaders said: “We reiterate our call on the European Commission and Member States to extend the possibility to fully or partially suspend EES – where operationally necessary – during the entirety of the 2026 summer season. This flexibility has proven vital in preventing catastrophic operational disruptions during the progressive rollout of the system. If the technical and operational issues with EES are not resolved, this flexibility should remain available during future peak travel periods, such as winter 2026/2027.”
Airports and airlines have their full support for the objectives of the Entry-Exit System in strengthening border management and security, however, they stress that its implementation must be operationally workable and must not come at the expense of passengers and the smooth functioning of airport operations.
