EU Entry/Exit System stalls airports, triggers Ryanair warnings
The European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), which records biometric data of non‑EU travelers at border checks, is causing extensive delays at airports across the bloc. Airport operators report queues of one to two hours, with some locations reporting waits of up to five hours. Affected airports include Berlin Brandenburg, Tenerife South, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga, Milan‑Bergamo, Krakow and Paris‑Beauvais.
Ryanair has urged EU governments to postpone full implementation until after the summer holiday peak, warning that families risk being “trapped in queue chaos” and missing flights. Aletta von Massenbach, head of Berlin Brandenburg Airport, said the situation is “unbearable in the summer period.”
The European Commission acknowledges technical problems with the system and says it is working with member states to resolve them, but it has not announced a suspension. Industry groups such as Airlines for Europe and national airport associations have called for a temporary halt of EES during July and August. The delays are impacting millions of passengers, causing missed connections, flight cancellations and heightened stress for travellers.