The EU border rules that have caused hours-long queues at some European airports may not “stabilise” for two years – and a new visa waiver could add to the chaos.
On Tuesday, Uku Särekanno, a director at EU border agency Frontex, told a travel industry conference in London that some of the 29 European countries where EES applies were “struggling” to implement the biometric system that has replaced passport stamping at Schengen borders.
Frontex told The i Paper that it would take around two years for most “third-country” passport holders (those from outside the EU or Schengen area) who regularly visit Europe to be registered, after which the processing time would be quicker. The European Commission estimates it takes around 70 seconds for an EES registration, during which facial images and fingerprint scans are taken by a border official.
The 29 countries where EES applies are currently permitted to suspend biometric checks for up to six hours at a time when required, but that reprieve will end in September.
Little public awareness ahead of summer holidays
Christina Brazier, head of industry affairs at Aito, the specialist travel association, said: “The ability to suspend EES checks where necessary must remain available beyond the peak summer period if operational pressures continue.
“A pragmatic and consistent approach will be key to maintaining smooth passenger flows while the new system beds in.”
The launch of a European visa waiver later this year will create more bureaucracy for non-EU visitors to the continent.
Public awareness of EES remains low, despite a roll-out beginning in October 2025 and the system coming into effect across the Schengen area on 10 April.
Recent research by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) showed that 55 per cent of travellers surveyed in the UK, US, Canada and Australia had little or no knowledge of the system, while 49 per cent did not know what would be required of them while travelling.
Visitor numbers to Spain’s holiday hot spots will peak in August (Photo: Getty)The airports where EES delays could last for years
Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, said: “Key airports like Frankfurt, Milan and Brussels have been hit particularly hard.
“The longest EES delays in large airports [are in] countries that were already reporting bottlenecks, especially where border guard staffing was historically tight, or infrastructure for biometric kiosks is limited”.
Spanish airports that have a high volume of non-EU leisure travellers and tight layouts are among the most vulnerable to EES queues during peak holiday periods.
Among the pinch points are Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and the Canary Island airports of Lanzarote, Tenerife South and Gran Canaria.
Palma received 33.8 million passengers last year, with August its peak month for arrivals (4.7 million). Alicante airport welcomed 19.9 million travellers in 2025, up 8.5 per cent year-on-year, while Gran Canaria is the busiest Canary Island hub with 15.8 million passengers in 2025. Visitor numbers to Spain reached a record high in 2025, with arrivals set to grow in 2026.
Italian airports have also experienced long delays following the EES roll-out. At Milan Linate, for instance, 122 passengers missed their easyJet flight to Manchester on the first weekend following the full EES roll-out.
Rome’s Fiumicino airport, Verona and Pisa have also been affected. Stefano Paoloni, secretary-general of Italy’s Autonomous Police Union, which represents officers working in Italy’s border force, said in April that Rome Fiumicino had seen queues outside the terminal building on the first full weekend of EES.
Paris Charles de Gaulle is another of the large airports to have experienced significant delays. Passengers have missed return flights due to long queues at passport control. Among them was Brad Short who told The i Paper that he, his wife and their six-year-old daughter missed their easyJet flight from the Paris airport on 16 April despite arriving three and a half hours before departure.
Toulouse has also experienced delays with a Ryanair flight to Stansted taking off on 30 May without 150 of its passengers on board. The airline said the delays were caused by border control staff shortages.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol is Europe’s fourth busiest airport, according to global air travel data provider OAG, with a seat capacity of 41.4 million in 2025.
Long queues formed at Schiphol on 18 May due to new security systems at the airport alongside EES checks. Of 679 departing flights, 279 were delayed.
Ahmad added that some smaller and regional airports across Europe face a challenge because they are “not geared up for long queues because of limitations on physical space, staff and kiosks”.
“Those airports are more disproportionately affected, and they are right to question whether the EES scheme actually yields them any benefits, given the bottlenecks, despite the millions invested into technology. Bigger airports can offset and absorb those costs – smaller airports can’t,” he said.
Lisbon and Faro airports could experience bottlenecks over the summer holidays. Both have experienced long queues as a result of EES and last August handled 3.7 million and 1.3 million passengers respectively.
Etias, more red tape for travel to Europe
The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is due to launch towards the end of 2026. British passport holders are among the 1.4 billion people who will need to apply for an Etias to visit any of 30 European countries. It will cost €20 (£17) and will last for three years or until a traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first. People under 18 or over 70 will not have to pay for their Etias.
Most applications will be processed in minutes, according to the European Commission, but can take longer with extensions of up to 30 days.
Brazier from Aito, said: “Travellers need straightforward information on what EES involves, how it differs from Etias, and what actions they do – and do not – need to take before departure. The challenge is ensuring passengers are properly informed and prepared.”
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