- Ryanair has warned of summer ‘queue chaos’ at EU airports due to new fingerprint checks, inviting the air industry to an urgent meeting to discuss concerns over the new entry and exit system.
- Seven airports are already experiencing major disruptions with further congestion expected as the holiday season gets busier.
- Neal McMahon, Ryanair’s chief operating officer, stated that the entry/exit system (EES) is still not ready for peak summer volumes.
- The digital system for checking non-EU travellers’ documents is creating bottlenecks and glitches just as the peak of the holiday season approaches.
- Airlines are calling for the option to suspend the checks in July and August.
- Airlines for Europe, ACI Europe, and the International Air Transport Association requested an immediate intervention and asked for flexibility to completely suspend EES in July and August.
- During the next two months, as the holiday season hits its peak, European airports are expected to handle approximately 40 million more passengers than during May and June.
- Ryanair urged suspension of the new system until September, claiming the current infrastructure is “not ready to manage the high passenger volumes expected” from mid July.
- The air travel industry has expressed that the new system is “creating several operational consequences” and called for immediate intervention.
- Airlines for Europe, the Airports Council International, and the International Air Transport Association are urging the European Commission to delay full implementation of the system until summer 2027.
Ryanair has raised alarms about potential 'queue chaos' at EU airports this summer due to the Entry-Exit System (EES), which has been operational since April 2026. The airline's chief operating officer, Neal McMahon, stated, “It is clear that the entry/exit system (EES) is still not ready for peak summer volumes.”138
The EES, designed to check non-EU travellers' documents, has already led to significant delays, with waiting times at border control sometimes reaching five hours during peak periods. This situation is expected to worsen as European airports prepare for an influx of approximately 40 million additional passengers during the summer months.7
Ryanair has called for an urgent meeting with the air industry to address these concerns and has urged the European Commission to suspend the EES checks until September, particularly in the “most exposed countries.” The airline criticized the system as “half-baked” and expressed that passengers should not be treated as “guinea pigs.”
The situation is echoed by other industry leaders, including Aletta von Massenbach, the boss of Berlin airport, who noted that non-EU citizens are already facing queues of up to two hours, describing the current state as “not bearable over the summer.” Airlines for Europe, ACI Europe, and the International Air Transport Association have also requested an “immediate intervention” to suspend the EES during July and August, highlighting the operational challenges it presents.5610
“Ryanair has raised concerns about potential chaos at EU airports this summer due to new fingerprint checks. The airline, along with industry groups, is urging for a suspension of the Entry-Exit System until September.”
Euronews
The Guardian
