Ryanair warns of ‘queue chaos’ as EU border system strains peak summer travel

Europe's aviation industry is calling on the European Commission to suspend the bloc's new biometric border control system during the peak summer travel season, warning that wait times of up to five hours risk grinding airports to a halt as millions of families prepare for holidays.

Industry Unites in Urgent Appeal

Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and Airlines for Europe (A4E) sent an open letter on June 30 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reporting that the Entry/Exit System — which has been fully operational since April — is creating "severe disruption" for travelers across the Schengen zone. The groups urged the Commission to "act immediately" and allow member states to suspend EES whenever passenger volumes exceed border control capacity, at least throughout July and August.majorcadailybulletin+2

Ryanair ↘ 3.37% joined the chorus on Wednesday, warning that the system "is still not ready for peak summer volumes" and calling on governments to halt the rollout until September. The airline identified seven airports — including Tenerife South, Palma, Alicante, and Malaga — where passengers face particularly long queues. Berlin Airport's chief executive, Aletta von Massenbach, told the BBC that non-EU travelers are waiting up to two hours at terminals serving Ryanair and Wizz Air flights, calling the situation "not bearable over the summer".travelweekly+4

System Under Strain

The EES requires non-EU nationals, including British and American travelers, to register biometric data such as fingerprints upon their first entry into the 29-country Schengen area. The data is then checked upon departure. While the system has functioned adequately in some locations, ACI Europe said queues have reached up to five hours during peak traffic periods. Airports in 15 countries have reported delays, according to the Financial Times, with some travelers missing flights.forbes+2

The World Travel and Tourism Council warned in a June analysis that consistent delays of three or more hours could put up to 41 million visitor arrivals and $45.4 billion in spending at risk from Europe's most important source markets.deeparrival+1

Border Security Gains Amid Travel Disruption

The system's rollout comes against a backdrop of declining irregular migration. Frontex reported in June that irregular border crossings into the EU fell by nearly 40 percent in the first five months of 2026, with roughly 39,000 crossings recorded compared with the same period a year earlier.frontex.europa+1

Al Jazeera reported that some flights are departing with planes only half-full because passengers cannot clear border control in time — a development the industry letter warned could worsen as the travel season intensifies through July.aljazeera