Long delays, with wait times of up to three hours, are being experienced at major European airports as the European Union's new entry and exit control system continues to cause problems in the heart of the summer travel season. There have even been cases where passengers missed their flights due to the new biometric checks.
The problem is not limited to Europe's largest airports, however. Queues and delays lasting hours have also been reported at several airports. At the same time, complaints of technical malfunctions, failed fingerprint scans and problems with facial recognition have also increased, with older travelers facing particular difficulties.
In full operation
The EES , i.e. Entry / Exit System, fully operational on 10 April 2026, concerns non-EU nationals making short stays in the Schengen area. Instead of manually stamping passports, the traveller's details, entry and exit are recorded electronically, while a facial photograph and fingerprints are collected on the first transit through the EES. The aim of the change is to strengthen security, better detect overstayers and digitalise border controls. The European Commission claims that registration takes an average of around 70 seconds, but at points where large numbers of travellers gather, the process creates significant queues.
Temporary suspension
In this context, several European countries are attempting to limit the impact by making use of the possibility of temporarily suspending the collection of biometric data when traffic exceeds the capabilities of border authorities. Such interventions have been reported at airports such as Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Brussels and Milan, while nine EU countries along with Switzerland have asked the Commission to extend the relevant flexibility.
What applies in Cyprus?
For Cyprus, however, there is an important peculiarity as it does not yet participate in the Schengen area and does not implement the EES at Larnaca and Paphos airports. At the same time, the Republic of Cyprus is preparing for the next phase, having ordered 40 new automated border control gates for the two airports, which are expected to be received by the end of 2026.
Who it concerns
The EES concerns citizens of non-EU countries entering or leaving the Schengen area . The system digitally records arrivals and departures and is linked to the taking of a photograph and fingerprints.
One of its main objectives is to electronically monitor compliance with the rule that allows non-European visitors to stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
This article first appeared, in Greek, in Hermes Airports' online newsletter Flight Mode. Click here to view it.
