EU’s EES border checks trigger five-hour airport queues as industry warns of summer travel disruption
The EU’s newly activated digital Entry/Exit System (EES), fully operational since April, has caused major border delays at airports across the bloc, with some travellers queuing for up to five hours and some flights departing half-full. Industry groups said the disruption has reached a “critical point” and could affect an additional 40 million passengers this summer and $45.4bn in tourism spending. The World Travel and Tourism Council backed calls to suspend the EES to ease pressure. The issue stems from an operational failure in regulatory implementation, directly impacting aviation and travel-related traditional assets.