The new EU border control system EES, introduced in April, is causing chaos at major European airports. Airline CEOs are calling for the use of permitted exceptions, and some countries are already seeking an extension of flexible measures.
The introduction of the European Union's new electronic border control system, known as EES (Entry/Exit System), has this summer led to a doubling of waiting times at some of Europe's largest airports. According to data published by the Financial Times, passengers at airports in Frankfurt, Munich, and Amsterdam waited in lines for up to two hours in July, sparking strong reactions in the aviation sector. Frankfurt Airport confirmed that the new border controls have caused departure delays and other disruptions.
Analytics firm Qsensor recorded a dramatic jump in maximum waiting times. In Frankfurt, it reached 120 minutes, while a year earlier it was half that, 60 minutes. In Munich, the longest wait nearly doubled, rising from 31 to 60 minutes, and in Amsterdam it jumped from 80 to 120 minutes. The tourism and aviation sectors had previously warned that the new system could cause major delays because airports would not be able to process passengers quickly enough.
The new system, introduced by the EU in April 2026, requires passengers from the UK and other non-EU countries to register on first entry by providing fingerprints, having their photo taken, and entering personal data. Although the goal of EES is to increase security at external borders, its rollout has been marked by bottlenecks, technical issues, and equipment difficulties.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary did not mince words in criticizing the new system. "Only Europeans would come up with this crap," he told investors last month, adding that his company has experienced serious congestion at approximately 15 airports. O'Leary believes that registration should be possible online to avoid delays at border crossings themselves.
Other airline executives have also been vocal. easyJet CEO Kenton Jarvis called on airports to use permitted exceptions and show "common sense." "Don't let people stand there for three hours," Jarvis appealed. On the other hand, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle acknowledged that the system has caused problematic situations at certain airports but assessed that it has not significantly impacted the company's overall operations.
Oliver Maxfield, founder of Qsensor, warns of growing anxiety among passengers. "With ever-increasing waiting times, we see a strong rise in concern among British and North American tourists about how long they will have to stand in line," he said. Data from Munich reveals that the longest waits are recorded for passengers going through manual checks, while automated lanes are mostly used without issue by EU citizens who are not subject to EES registration.
To ease congestion, many airports have temporarily disabled some checks during the summer peak, such as fingerprinting. This option is supposed to end in September, but eight EU member states and Switzerland have already asked the European Commission to extend these exceptions.
The European Commission defends the system, claiming that the average registration takes about 70 seconds and that the impact on most non-EU travelers is limited. It also highlights the security benefits, noting that 160 million entries and exits have been recorded through EES since its launch. A Commission spokesperson confirmed that discussions are ongoing about continued flexibility. "Regarding the period after the summer, we are in close and constructive contact with several member states where there are issues at certain border crossings," he said.
The Financial Times on social media platform X published a warning from a Swedish leader about a potential migration crisis. He stated that the Spanish mass regularization program could push Europe back into a migration crisis like the one in 2015 and call into question the continent's free movement zone.
