EU Biometric Border Checks Spark Summer Delay Warnings

Travel industry groups have warned that the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) could create long queues at busy borders during the 2026 summer peak, and are urging the European Commission to make “contingency” options clear and usable on the ground.

The EES, designed to replace manual passport stamping with digital entry/exit records and biometric registration for many non-EU travelers, has already been linked to multi-hour waits in some early operational use, fueling concern about wider disruption if volumes rise.

What it means for airlines and airports

The risk is operational knock-on: slower border processing can back up arrival halls, strain staffing, and increase missed connections, especially at major hubs, such as UK-to-France gateways, where border checks are already capacity-sensitive.

Industry bodies (including the UK’s ABTA) have called for consistent use of contingency measures, such as scaling back biometric enrollment at peak times, alongside better resourcing and planning to prevent queues from spilling into wider delay and disruption.

April 10 deadline stands, with scope to pause checks during peak travel

Official EU guidance still points to EES replacing manual stamping from 10 April 2026, once the rollout is complete.

After EES goes fully live on 10 April, EU countries can temporarily scale back biometric enrolment at specific border points if queues become unmanageable. The Commission says this contingency flexibility can run for up to 90 days, with a possible 60-day extension to cover the summer peak.

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