European airports face delays from new border systems and punctuality issues

European airports are facing operational challenges due to the implementation of the Entry-Exit-System (EES) at Schengen borders. The requirement for third-country nationals to provide biometric data has caused significant passenger queues and delays. In Greece, travelers have reported waits of several hours, leading to flight delays and missed connections.

In response to these disruptions, Swiss International Air Lines has increased its minimum transfer time from 40 to 50 minutes. Swiss airports, including Zurich and Euroairport Basel, are deploying additional staff to manage capacity issues. Concerns are rising for the autumn period as a transitional regulation allowing border authorities to suspend time-consuming biometric registrations is set to expire in September. The Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) is currently working with other Schengen states to seek an extension of this rule.

Separately, a 2025 Eurocontrol report highlights punctuality issues at major European hubs. Zurich Airport ranked 27th among the 30 busiest airports, reporting a departure punctuality rate of 60%. While this represents a 3% improvement over 2024, it lags significantly behind Northern European hubs like Stockholm-Arlanda, which leads the ranking with 85% punctuality.