The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES), designed to streamline border control by collecting biometric data from travelers, is experiencing significant operational difficulties, raising concerns among airlines, travel industry representatives, and passengers. Since its mandated full implementation on April 10, the system has struggled with data collection and processing, causing delays and confusion at airports and ports across the EU.
EES is intended to gather passport details, fingerprints, and facial images from travelers at EU borders, uploading this information to a central eu-LISA portal to create dedicated traveler files. These files enable border officials to quickly verify identities during subsequent entries. However, technical flaws are preventing biometric data from being consistently uploaded, leading to situations where fingerprints and facial scans are collected but not saved, forcing travelers to re-register on each visit.
Business Travel Association member Clive Wratten described multiple experiences of repeated registrations throughout Europe, including visits to Spain, Croatia, and Tenerife. Similar reports come from Wendy Head, a Foreign Office project manager, who had to register three times over a three-month period in Sweden, France, and Italy. These anecdotes highlight a broader pattern of inefficiency undermining the system’s fundamental goal of a one-time biometric registration valid for three years.
The EU agency responsible for EES, eu-LISA, which receives over €300 million annually, faces criticism over its handling of the project. Internal spending details reveal substantial investment in staff-oriented activities alongside technology development, prompting frustration among stakeholders who argue that resources should prioritize technical fixes. Rafael Schvartzman, vice-president for Europe at the International Air Transport Association (Iata), warned that continued problems could result in excessive waiting times at borders, sometimes extending to several hours.
In response to the difficulties, the EU granted a temporary derogation allowing border checks under EES to be suspended to manage queues and prevent excessive delays. This measure is set to expire in early September, fueling fears that capacity issues could worsen during the busy summer travel season. Airlines and airports have called for extended use of such flexibilities to alleviate pressure.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, expressed concerns about inconsistent application of these temporary measures and urged European authorities to fully leverage and extend them through the autumn, while addressing staffing and technical challenges. Luke Petherbridge from travel trade association Abta emphasized that delays result from a combination of factors, including inadequate planning during peak travel periods.
Passenger anxieties are mounting, with a survey by Booking.com indicating that nearly 60% of UK travelers expect delays related to the EES, and half fear missing flights as a result. Recent incidents, such as 50 British tourists missing a Ryanair flight from Athens, underline the real-world impact. Airlines are likely to deny compensation claims for delays caused by these border issues, citing circumstances beyond their control.
Critics like Wratten argue that the current situation represents not mere teething problems but a fundamental failure of the system’s infrastructure. He called for a suspension of EES operations until the technology reliably functions as intended, cautioning that without such measures, travelers will continue facing repeated biometric registration and pervasive disruption.