Germany’s Frankfurt and Munich airports are recording passport-control waits of up to five hours as the European Union’s new biometric Entry-Exit System (EES) enters its first peak-summer test, according to data published on 5 July by business news outlet Börse-Global. The surge in line-ups has pushed complaints lodged with Germany’s independent travel ombudsman to a record 29,400 in the first half of 2026—a 50 % year-on-year jump. Implemented across the Schengen Area in April, EES captures fingerprints and facial images from all third-country nationals on first entry, replacing manual passport stamps. For Indian passport holders connecting onward to the US or UK, the extra biometric capture can mean missed flights and re-ticketing costs that airlines are not legally bound to reimburse. Airport council ACI Europe has formally asked Brussels to authorise a summer suspension of the checks when queues exceed capacity, but EU officials insist the system is “stable.” Lufthansa, already dealing with pilot-strike threats, warns that staffing EES kiosks during busy departures is stretching resources. Corporate travel buyers should advise employees transiting Frankfurt or Munich to budget at least three hours between flights, or to consider routing through hubs outside the Schengen zone such as Istanbul or Dubai where entry biometrics are not required for air-side transfers. Frequent flyers may pre-register fingerprints at German consulates during visa issuance to shorten on-arrival processing.
Source: boerse-global.de / ad-hoc-news
