Europe’s aviation industry has called on the European Commission to permit suspension of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) whenever passenger volumes exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities, at least for the peak summer period of July and August.
They have also called for a permanent flexibility mechanism to be introduced by September, allowing border control authorities to suspend EES under clearly defined circumstances to ensure efficient border management.
"Such flexibility measures should remain available until the structural challenges have been fully addressed."
They say this does not amount to the absence of border control but rather a reversion to standard Schengen Border Code checks, including passport stamping.
The letter says these measures should include adequate staffing at airport border crossing points, a stable and reliable central EES platform and national interfaces, operational and functional deployment of self-service kiosks and ABC gates, as well as the functional deployment of a pre-registration app.
"This situation has arisen despite the temporary suspension of biometric data collection until the beginning of September. While this measure has provided some relief, it has not prevented excessive queues for passengers or reduced pressure on airport and airline operators."
According to the letter, border control waiting times have reached up to five hours during peak traffic periods following the introduction of the latest EES measures. It says this has resulted in operational disruptions for airports and airlines, including flight delays, missed connections and increased pressure on staff.
The letter says passengers have already been forced to queue outside terminal buildings while airlines have departed with half-empty aircraft because travellers were still waiting to clear border control.
"Reports already suggest that some international travellers are reconsidering trips to Europe because of the prospect of excessive border delays. This is undermining Europe's reputation, European tourism and connectivity, in particular.
"We are now entering the busiest period of the year," they wrote. "During July and August, European airports are expected to handle approximately 40 million more passengers than during the previous two months."
Without additional flexibility, they warn that existing challenges will only intensify.
The letter was signed by Ourania Georgoutsakou, MD of Airlines for Europe; Olivier Jankovec, Director General of Airports Council International Europe; and Thomas Reynaert, Senior VP External Affairs at IATA, who identified themselves as representatives of Europe's aviation sector.
