Europe's Airlines, Airports Make Another Call to Suspend EES

Europe's airlines and airports have reached out to the European Commission in hopes of suspending the recently launched Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) as it causes widespread delays amid the peak summer travel period.

In a letter to President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, Airports Council International (ACI) Europe again sounded the alarm, warning that the industry has "reached a critical point."

Travelers face long lines at airports across the continent "because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough," officials argue. "Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, while passengers are stuck in border control queues."

"The current implementation of the EES is creating severe operational consequences, disrupting passengers and putting border authorities, airports and airlines under unsustainable pressure," the industry groups stated in the letter. "We therefore urge your immediate intervention before the situation deteriorates further during the peak summer travel season."

The letter also warns that long lines and ongoing delays as a result are beginning to hurt Europe's reputation as an efficient and easy-to-navigate travel destination.

"Beyond the immediate operational consequences, the reputation of the European Union and the confidence in the regulatory framework are also at stake," the letter states. "Europe must remain a destination that is not only secure but also efficient, welcoming and competitive. Reports already suggest that some international travelers are reconsidering trips to Europe because of the prospect of excessive border delays. This is undermining Europe’s reputation, European tourism and connectivity, in particular."

ACI Europe is seeking the immediate "flexibility needed to completely suspend EES, preventively whenever passenger volumes exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities, at least throughout July and August."

Officials also want to work with member states to "establish by September a permanent operational flexibility mechanism allowing Border Control Authorities to suspend EES procedures under clearly defined exceptional circumstances in order to ensure efficient and passenger-focused border management."

"We fully support the objectives of the Entry/Exit System. Security and efficient border management are complementary goals – not competing ones," said ACI Europe. "Achieving both requires recognizing operational realities and responding with pragmatism and a roll-out plan that acknowledges and adapts to these realities."

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