Overview
- The Entry/Exit System, which became fully operational on April 10, 2026, replaces passport stamps for non‑EU travellers and requires fingerprint and facial scans to record entries and exits.
- Airports and airlines report persistent long queues at several hubs and industry surveys show waits up to about 3.5 hours at peak times with some passenger accounts claiming even longer delays.
- Passengers have missed flights at multiple airports, including Porto, Milan and Paris Charles de Gaulle, after slow biometric checks and limited staffed booths delayed processing.
- Operational problems cited include offline or malfunctioning self‑service kiosks, unreliable fingerprint readers that need frequent cleaning, and inconsistent use of permitted temporary pauses by national authorities.
- Airport bodies and carriers have written to the European Commission demanding urgent relief such as broader use of contingency pauses or a temporary suspension to reduce disruption over the summer.