EU Entry-Exit System causes airport delays and passenger disruptions
The EU's Entry-Exit System, a biometric border control system deployed from April 2026, caused significant airport delays and passenger disruptions across Schengen area airports. Long queues at passport control led to missed flights, with some airports experiencing particularly severe gridlock during holiday periods.
What happened
The EU's Entry-Exit System (EES), a biometric border control system that collects fingerprints and facial data from third-country nationals entering the Schengen area, became mandatory across member states from 10 April 2026. The system had teething problems with inconsistent rollout.
Multiple airports experienced significant delays at passport control. More than 100 passengers were left behind at Milan Linate airport, and gridlock occurred in Dover during the May half-term holiday. Wizz Air's UK managing director Yvonne Moynihan reported long queues at hotspots including Spain, Portugal, and France, while implementation varied across Europe.
Reported impact
Passengers missed return and connecting flights due to lengthy queues at passport control. The airline Wizz Air advised passengers to arrive three hours before flights instead of the standard two hours, and to allow several hours between connecting flights.
The system required verification of biometric information both on entry and exit, creating queues at departure gates. Greece temporarily suspended biometric checks for British citizens to prevent summer disruption.
Index analysis
The European Commission stated EES was working well at almost all border crossing points and noted EES was not the only cause of delays. Since October, almost 80 million entries and exits had been registered with 35,000 refusals of entry recorded.
Airport trade body ACI Europe advised passengers to follow airline recommendations for arrival times. Border officials proactively suspended EES checks when long waits built up.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.