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Airports and airlines ask EU to let countries suspend biometric border checks during summer 2026 peak
European aviation groups sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen asking for immediate suspension of the Entry/Exit System during July and August. The request follows reports of waits up to five hours and some flights departing with reduced loads. Member states hold temporary waiver authority until early September.
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European airports and airlines requested an immediate suspension of the EU Entry/Exit System during peak summer travel in a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The letter, issued by ACI Europe, Airlines for Europe and the International Air Transport Association, states that biometric checks have produced waits of up to five hours at Schengen external borders since the system reached full rollout in April 2026.
Some aircraft have departed with reduced passenger loads after travelers remained in queues when boarding gates closed.
The groups asked that member states be permitted to suspend EES checks entirely when passenger volumes exceed border capacity, at minimum for July and August 2026. They also sought a permanent mechanism allowing suspension under exceptional circumstances from September onward until staffing, system reliability, pre-registration and automated gates are sufficient.
Member states may already waive biometric data collection under existing temporary provisions until early September.
Greece has suspended the checks for British visitors until September. Rome's airport chief warned last week that the system would need to be paused to prevent major disruption. European airports expect roughly 40 million more passengers in July and August than in the preceding two months.
The letter noted that some international visitors are reconsidering trips because of the delays. "We have reached a critical point," the groups stated.
