Key facts
- Airlines, airports, and aviation bodies have urged the European Commission to temporarily suspend the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES).
- The EES implementation is causing severe disruption, with border delays reaching up to five hours during peak travel periods.
- Industry groups warn of missed flight connections, delayed departures, and half-empty planes.
- The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) also called for coordinated action, warning of potential impacts on visitor numbers and spending.
Europe's aviation sector is facing significant disruption during peak summer travel periods due to the implementation of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital border control system that records entries and exits using biometric data. Airlines, airports, and aviation bodies, including ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), have sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging a temporary suspension of the EES during peak times. They warn of border delays reaching up to five hours, leading to missed connections, delayed departures, and half-empty flights as passengers are held up in queues. The industry groups are requesting that Member States be granted the flexibility to suspend EES operations when passenger volumes exceed border control capacity, particularly throughout July and August. They also advocate for a permanent operational flexibility mechanism to be established by September to ensure efficient border management. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has echoed these concerns, calling for coordinated action to prevent operational bottlenecks from undermining the visitor experience and Europe's competitiveness. The WTTC estimates that consistent delays of three hours or more could deter a significant number of travelers, potentially impacting millions of arrivals and billions in visitor spending.