EES is slowing borders
New EU biometric Entry/Exit checks are producing long queues for non‑EU travellers at several French, Spanish and Portuguese airports, with officials advising passengers to arrive earlier than usual to avoid missed connections and ferry delays ( ). Airport punctuality data remains uneven — AirHelp’s Q1 rankings show Malaga’s on‑time record can be used to distinguish persistent delays from one‑off congestion on specific routes (surinenglish.com).
Europe’s new Entry/Exit System is slowing border checks for non‑European Union travellers, with long queues now reported at airports and ferry ports in France, Spain and Portugal. (eeas.europa.eu, connexionfrance.com) The system became fully operational across Schengen external borders on 10 April 2026, after a phased rollout that France says began on 12 October 2025. It replaces passport stamps with digital entry and exit records for short-stay travellers from outside the European Union and Schengen area. (diplomatie.gouv.fr, eeas.europa.eu) At the border, officials record passport details, a facial image and fingerprints for most non‑EU visitors staying up to 90 days in any 180-day period. France says long-stay visa holders and residence permit holders are exempt from registration, though they can still get caught in the same non‑EU lines. (diplomatie.gouv.fr, connexionfrance.com) The immediate problem is time. The Connexion reported missed flights from Paris to the UK, while ACI Europe said queues at border control across 15 countries are now “typically averaging two to three hours or even longer” during peak periods. (connexionfrance.com) French guidance says registration usually happens on arrival at the airport or port, except at the UK juxtaposed controls at London St Pancras, Dover and Folkestone. Euronews reported travellers should expect to reach airports about 90 minutes to two hours earlier than usual while the new process beds in. (connexionfrance.com, euronews.com) Airports and airlines are pushing for relief. The Connexion reported that ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe want the European Union to let airports fully suspend EES checks at the busiest moments, instead of using the current limited option that allows only temporary pauses in biometric capture for up to six hours at a time. (connexionfrance.com) Officials are defending the switch as a security and record-keeping upgrade. The European External Action Service says the aim is to make checks more efficient and secure, and France says the database is meant to automate identity checks and track how long short-stay visitors remain in the 29-country Schengen area. (eeas.europa.eu, diplomatie.gouv.fr) Not every delay at a Spanish airport now points to EES. AirHelp recorded 447 delays and 21 cancellations across Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga and Valencia on 9 March 2026, a month before full EES operation, showing that airline schedules, weather, rerouting and network congestion were already disrupting flights. (airhelp.com) AirHelp’s methodology also treats punctuality as a separate measure, with on-time performance making up 60% of its airport score and a flight counted as on time if it arrives within 15 minutes of schedule. That is why Málaga’s ranking can show whether delays are persistent at the airport itself or concentrated in specific periods and routes. (airhelp.com, airhelp.com) For travellers, the practical change is simple but expensive in time: the passport stamp is gone, but the first biometric registration now sits in its place, and the queue has moved with it. (eeas.europa.eu, diplomatie.gouv.fr)
