In an open letter published on 8 July, Europe’s airport and airline associations (ACI Europe, IATA and A4E) asked the European Commission to allow Member States to “switch off” or suspend the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) during the July–August peak. The industry warns that biometric registration glitches are producing waits of up to five hours at external-Schengen arrival desks. The Brussels Times highlights that several regional airports – including Milan Bergamo in northern Italy – are already experiencing serious congestion and missed connections, with further disruption expected as schools close across Europe. Italian carriers tell Global Mobility News they fear knock-on delays at connecting hubs could cascade into schedule instability for domestic feeders. Although the Commission says Member States may temporarily suspend fingerprint collection where capacity is insufficient, the guidance is discretionary. Corporate travel teams sending staff to Italy this summer should therefore budget extra connection time, book fast-track lanes where available and warn travellers to have passport covers removed before reaching the kiosks to speed enrolment. Long term, the kerfuffle could strengthen a coalition of countries – France, Spain and Italy among them – lobbying for a phased roll-out tied to staffing levels rather than fixed deadlines. If Brussels agrees, another revision of the EES implementation calendar is possible after the holiday season.
Source: The Brussels Times
