In a letter to be sent on Wednesday 11 February to Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, the main players in the European aviation sector (ACI EUROPE, A4E and IATA) will be asking the Commission to authorise the Member States to suspend the Entry/Exit System (EES) in whole or in part until the end of October 2026, in order to preserve “Europe’s reputation as a tourist destination”. The signatories warn of the risk of major airport paralysis this summer, due to malfunctions in the system.
Currently, the obligation to register 35% of third-country nationals is already generating two-hour waits, according to the airports. However, airlines are warning that, without flexibility measures, these delays could reach four hours in July and August. They point to three critical shortcomings: chronic border control understaffing, unresolved technology issues and the very limited uptake of the Frontex pre-registration app by Schengen states.
“There is a complete disconnect between the perception of the EU institutions that EES is working well, and the reality, which is that non-EU travellers are experiencing massive delays and inconvenience”, denounced the leaders of the three organisations in a press release. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)