Travel groups have urged the EU to extend flexible arrangements for the use of the Entry-Exit System (EES) for the next six months to prevent long delays during peak travel periods.
Temporary rules allowing airports and border authorities to partially suspend the use of EES biometric checks to avoid excessive congestion were in place over the summer, but they expired from the start of this week.
Airline association IATA is calling for the partial suspension rules to be extended until the end of the upcoming winter season in late March 2027.
Thomas Reynaert, IATA’s senior vice president of external affairs, said retaining this flexibility to suspend EES operations was “absolutely necessary” in the coming months.
“The summer has highlighted where operational challenges remain,” said Reynaert in a LinkedIn post. “Addressing them now means extending the possibility of partial suspension through the winter season, accelerating pre-registration, investing in infrastructure and staffing, and strengthening co-operation between authorities and industry.”
Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at UK travel association ABTA, said that it would also be pushing the EU for an extension of the partial suspension rules governing the use of EES.
He added that the current flexibilities had helped to “ease pressures” at airports over the summer, but there was “still some way to go until EES is fully and consistently operational across all participating countries”.
A European Commission spokesperson insisted at a media briefing last week that EES had “broadly worked well” over the summer, despite fears from the travel industry of queues “chaos” at border control during the busiest periods.
“We are in close and constructive contact with those few member states where some adjustments are needed at certain border crossing points,” added the spokesperson.
EES requires the collection of biometric data, including facial image scans and fingerprints, from passport holders of third countries, including the UK and US, when entering one of the 29 Schengen Area members.
After a six-month transition period, EES was made fully operational in April 2026, but with the ability to partially suspend the system when necessary up to 6 September.
EES is due to be followed by the introduction of the EU’s European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) — an EU equivalent to the long-established ESTA in the US and the UK’s more recent ETA scheme. Once implemented, passport holders of third countries will need to apply for an ETIAS, currently scheduled to cost €20, when travelling to a Schengen Area country.
The EU had planned to launch ETIAS in the final quarter of 2026 but it is looking increasingly likely that its introduction will be delayed until 2027.