The European Union is considering an unprecedented emergency measure to temporarily suspend its new biometric entry system, EES, after widespread disruption and hours-long queues at airports and seaports. The delays have already caused missed flights and operational chaos in major destinations including Greece, France and Italy, and officials say smooth operation may still be more than a year away.
The emergency mechanism, confirmed by Frontex and the European Commission, would let member states pause biometric registration at specific checkpoints if waits become intolerable. Officials stressed it is a last resort and would expire in September, giving only a brief window of flexibility during the summer travel peak. The EES requires non-EU travelers and other third-country nationals entering the Schengen area to provide facial images and fingerprints during first registration.
The system’s impact was seen at Athens International Airport, where 20 to 50 Ryanair passengers bound for London missed their flight after being trapped in what witnesses called a “crazy queue” at passport control. In Toulouse-Blagnac, about 150 Ryanair passengers were left behind earlier this week, while in April 100 EasyJet passengers were stranded at Milan Linate after passport lines stretched to three hours. Travel experts warn queues could reach six hours in the summer, especially in Spain, Portugal, France and Italy.
The problem is also hitting ferry operators. Interferry urged pragmatic enforcement, saying implementation has been inconsistent and poorly coordinated across Europe. Stena Line reported delays at Hook of Holland, worsened by confusion between EES and the future ETIAS travel authorization, as well as limited availability of the EU’s Travel to Europe app. Brittany Ferries said French authorities had to restrict biometric collection to foot passengers because mobile tablets for vehicle passengers were not working.
Frontex deputy executive director Auko Sarakano said countries can legally suspend biometric registration during peak congestion if crowds become unmanageable. The European Commission said the system is fully operational and has processed nearly 90 million entries and exits since October 2025, but national authorities are now trying to ease bottlenecks with more staff, self-service kiosks and pre-registration tools before resorting to a full shutdown.
