ACI Europe Head Says EU Entry Exit System Not Working Fine

Stefan Schulte, president of ACI Europe, stated that the EU Entry/Exit System is not working fine and urged politicians to stop pretending otherwise. He called for full flexibility for border authorities to suspend the system when needed to avoid further chaos, along with a rethink of the processes.

GB News reported that last week a Ryanair flight departed Greece without 50 passengers delayed in a mega-queue at border control.

The Greek airport attributed the congestion to additional processing requirements. In May a Ryanair flight from Toulouse left without 150 passengers amid a scrummage at border control. Wizz Air advised British tourists to arrive at European airports three hours before departure because of expected lengthy queues.

The European Commission permitted EES to be suspended in some circumstances until September 2026, though individual EU governments decide whether to suspend it. Earlier this year Greece announced it would suspend biometric EES requirements for British tourists, but the Greek Foreign Ministry later stated that an exemption for British tourists did not exist.

Implementation of EES has caused large delays at Greece’s land border with North Macedonia.

Lorry driver Filip Stojanov stated that EES-related delays threaten putting the economy at risk and the whole Balkans' economy at risk. Portugal and Italy considered suspending EES biometric requirements, but the European Commission stated no such plan was in place.