is an old joke from the TV series ‘Get Smart”
https://youtube.com/shorts/PmMjifK0L5A?is=tO52zmmDYGT3cxcV
This week I missed a connecting flight in Frankfurt. Having come from Australia I needed to clear the new border entry requirements.
I appreciate the strategy of needing to check at the first point of entry.
I did not appreciate how poorly the integration of this requirement was being implemented in airport systems.
The failure to have adequately premised this fundamental “what if” is fairly widespread in scope, because the new EU Entry/Exit System now applies across the 29-country Schengen area, but the actual disruption is uneven rather than universal at every airport all day. The biggest problems have been reported at external-border passport control points during peak waves of arrivals, where airports and airlines have recorded missed flights and typical waits of 2–3 hours, with some cases even longer.[2][4][5]
Where it is happening
Airports Council International Europe said data from airports in 15 countries showed border-control waiting times had “significantly increased” after full operation began. Reported trouble spots have included airports in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Greece, while other reporting also highlighted major issues in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy.[7][1]
How uneven it is
This is not a case of every passenger everywhere facing the same delay: the European Commission said the system was working “very well” in most countries and that the average registration took just over a minute, though it acknowledged technical issues in a few countries. Separate reporting also noted that some travelers clear controls quickly in quieter periods, while queues spike when several flights arrive close together or equipment and staffing fall short.[8][1]
What it means for connections
The risk is highest for passengers who must clear Schengen external-border control during a connection, because that is where the biometric registration happens for eligible non-EU travelers. Industry groups have warned that these checks have already increased processing times by several multiples and, during peaks, created enough delay for passengers to miss onward flights.[4][5]
How long this may last
There is some built-in flexibility while authorities stabilize the rollout: under the current rules, certain border points can temporarily suspend biometric collection in exceptional circumstances when queues become excessive, with this flexibility available through July and, under conditions, likely into September. That suggests the bottleneck is likely to remain a recurring issue through the busy summer period, but probably as a patchy, airport-by-airport problem rather than a constant continent-wide shutdown.[1]
I should have done my homework and been better prepared (a one hour and 48 minute layover was inadequate) – so revisiting your upcoming schedule might be worth considering.
Sources
[1] Travelers Flying to Europe Face Long Lines Due to New Immigration … https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-travel-airport-lines-immigration-passport-control-border-checks-2026-4
[2] ‘A systemic failure’: How the new Entry/Exit System (EES) … https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/04/14/a-systemic-failure-how-the-new-entryexit-system-ees-brought-chaos-to-eu-border-control
[3] Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/entryexit-system-ees-fully-operational-2026-04-10_en
[4] EES: The new European border Entry/Exit System goes live on 10 … https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/presse-et-ressources/decouvrir-et-informer/actualites/ees-le-nouveau-systeme-europeen-de-gestion-des-frontieres-entre-en-service-le-10-avril-2026
[5] Entry Exit System disruptions on first day of full operations … https://www.aci-europe.org/media-room/590-entry-exit-system-disruptions-on-first-day-of-full-operations-affirm-yet-again-the-immediate-need-for-flexibility.html
[6] Travel industry fears summer disruption amid new biometric checks at European borders https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/05/travel-industry-fears-summer-disruption-biometric-checks-controls-ees-european-borders
[7] New EU entry-exit system causing up to three-hour delays, say airports https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/15/eu-entry-exit-system-ees-delays-airports-border-checks
[8] Warning of long airport queues under new EU border control system https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0k699pxwzo
[9] EES checks paused? EU responds over … – Connexion France https://www.connexionfrance.com/news/ees-checks-paused-european-commission-responds-to-media-reports/789666
[10] New airport ESS border check delays and how to avoid them – BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvv7jjny4o
[11] New European border rules have caused delays at airports across … https://www.facebook.com/bbcmanchester/posts/new-european-border-rules-have-caused-delays-at-airports-across-the-continent-af/1387431516752858/
[12] New border rules could mean longer airport queues – LARA https://www.laranews.net/new-border-rules-could-mean-longer-airport-queues/
[13] Passenger misses flight after 3 hour queue caused by new EU entry … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dQsW6sv8s
[14] Travel Disrupted By New EU Border Control System – Aviation Week https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/travel-disrupted-new-eu-border-control-system
[15] Travellers Told to Expect Long Delays Ahead of New EU Entry Rules https://www.businesstraveller.com/news/travellers-told-to-expect-long-delays-ahead-of-new-eu-entry-rules/
[16] Long queues have built up at some airports around Europe as the … https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/long-queues-have-built-up-at-some-airports-around-europe-as-the-eus-new-digital-/1298777608889495/
[17] The system has resulted in long waits at EU borders, which has … https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterEveningNews/posts/%EF%B8%8F-the-system-has-resulted-in-long-waits-at-eu-borders-which-has-even-caused-some/1449018343927193/
[18] ‘Chaos’: German opposition slams EU’s new entry-exit system at … https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/chaos-german-opposition-slams-eu-s-new-entry-exit-system-at-borders/3917001
[19] EasyJet passengers describe new EU border controls ‘nightmare’ https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1skfqfh/easyjet_passengers_describe_new_eu_border/
[20] EU postpones full EES until September 2026 – Tragento https://tragento.com/en/the-eu-postpones-the-full-ees-until-September-2026–the-goal-is-to-avoid-summer-congestion-at-the-borders/
[21] Italy to Suspend Biometric Border Checks at Busy Airports, Reverts … https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-05-05/it/italy-to-suspend-biometric-border-checks-at-busy-airports-reverts-to-passport-stamps-until-30-september/
[22] The Entry/Exit System will become fully operational on 10 April 2026 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/entryexit-system-will-become-fully-operational-10-april-2026-2026-03-30_en
[23] RYANAIR CALLS ON FRENCH GOVT TO SUSPEND EES UNTIL … https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/ryanair-calls-on-french-govt-to-suspend-ees-until-sept-to-prevent-passengers-families-suffering-long-passport-control-queues-this-summer/
[24] EES: The new European border Entry/Exit System goes live on 10 … https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/services-to-foreigners/visiting-france/ees-the-new-european-border-entryexit-system-goes-live-on-10-april-2026
[25] The European Union has postponed the rollout of its Entry/Exit … https://www.instagram.com/p/DVJyK5GAV9l/
[26] Airports and airlines call for immediate Schengen Entry/Exit … https://www.aci-europe.org/press-release/582-airports-and-airlines-call-for-immediate-schengen-entry-exit-system-ees-review-ahead-of-peak-summer-months-traffic.html
[27] Europe’s Digital Border Entry and ETIAS Launching in 2026 – AFAR https://www.afar.com/magazine/europes-etias-travel-entry-requirement-delayed-until-2026
[28] New EU entry rules and safety warnings for 2026 travel – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/727019224852007/posts/1936630327224218/
The new strategy (the EU Entry/Exit System and related border-police procedures) came in the way it did mainly because political and security pressures to “modernise” and digitise borders outweighed the practical preparation needed in airports, IT systems, and staffing.[1][2]
What the EU was trying to do
The Entry/Exit System is a long‑planned project to replace manual passport stamps with a shared EU database containing biometric data (fingerprints and facial images) and entry/exit records for all non‑EU nationals. EU institutions sold it as the “digital backbone” of a new migration and security framework: a way to track overstayers, combat identity fraud, and harmonise fragmented national border records.[2]
Why preparation lagged behind
Although the idea dates back years, the project suffered repeated delays due to technical and budget issues, leaving a compressed window to get infrastructure, training, and staffing ready before the final legal “go live” date. Analysts and lobby groups note that, by launch, many border posts still had understaffed control booths, incomplete or poorly tested equipment, and unclear procedures for handling people already in the database.[1][2]
Warnings that were not fully heeded
Airport and airline associations had warned for months that the new checks, if introduced without extra staff and real stress‑testing at busy hubs, would inevitably create bottlenecks and missed connections. Reporting after rollout quotes industry voices saying EU decision‑makers underestimated operational realities and pushed ahead despite these warnings, leading to gridlock that was “predictable” from an airport-operations point of view.[2][1]
Politics versus practicality
Commentary from both media and policy analysts suggests there was strong political desire to show visible progress on “stronger borders” and migration control after years of debate. That made it harder to delay again, even though many practical pieces (hardware reliability, phased passenger trials, and common fallback procedures) were not fully in place, so the system arrived more on political schedule than on operational readiness.[1][2]
Structural design choices that made it rough
The EU chose a relatively short transition period where old manual passport stamping coexists with the new biometric system, which experts say is “a recipe for confusion and delay” because it doubles complexity at the frontier. Responsibility is also split between Brussels (which builds the rules and central system) and member states (which must staff and equip the actual border posts), so any weak link in that chain shows up as queues for passengers.[2][1]
If you’re mainly worried about your own trips, do you mostly connect through big hubs like Paris/Frankfurt/Amsterdam, or are your connections usually within Italy and other Schengen countries only?
Sources
[1] EUROPE’S BORDER TEST FALTERS! New Digital Checks Triggers Airport Gridlock | Times Now World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CEopNG_LkY
[2] Europe’s new border control system faces early turbulence https://eualive.net/europes-new-border-control-system-faces-early-turbulence/
[3] Europe’s Border Test Backfires, Airports Struggle With New Digital Controls | Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLrAiP-AmUw
[4] [PDF] Challenges for Integrated Border Management in the European Union https://www.dcaf.ch/sites/default/files/publications/documents/OP17_Marenin.pdf
[5] [PDF] Restoring the Borderless Schengen Area: Mission Impossible? https://sieps.se/media/4ylfst2h/2024_12epa.pdf
[6] Frontex – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontex
[7] Border controls and pushbacks as the new normal? The … https://www.aisdue.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Post-Anna-Kompatscher.pdf
[8] NEW_DOKLAD.indd https://csd.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/publications_library/files/2011/2011_04_ENG_Better_Management_of_EU_Borders.pdf
[9] Frontex Failing to Protect People at EU Borders – Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/06/23/frontex-failing-protect-people-eu-borders
[10] Microsoft Word – EUborderpolice3.doc https://www.statewatch.org/media/1101/cover-up-proposed-regulation-on-european-border-guard-hides-unaccountable.pdf
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