An EU official predicts that disruptions from the new Entry/Exit System (EES) will continue for one to two years, causing major delays at Schengen borders and potentially costing the region £1.9 billion in British tourist spending this summer.
The recent implementation of the European Union's new Entry/Exit System ( EES ) has triggered significant disruptions at border controls across the Schengen Area , with officials warning that the resulting lengthy queues and travel chaos could persist for up to two years.
Uku Sarekanno, deputy executive director of Frontex, the EU's border security agency, stated that the turmoil is expected to stabilize within one to two years as countries adapt. The system, which commenced on April 10, mandates that many non-EU travelers, including UK citizens, register biometric data-such as fingerprints and facial recognition images-upon entry. This new digital procedure has caused substantial delays, leading some passengers to miss flights and prompting airlines to describe the situation as unacceptable.
Sarekanno noted that while some nations have dedicated resources and are managing the transition well, others are still struggling, highlighting the uneven adjustment across approximately 1,700 border points in Europe, spread across air, land, and sea entries. The initial enrollment step, involving the capture of biometrics, is identified as the most challenging aspect. Beyond the immediate operational headaches, the economic ramifications are becoming apparent.
A study by travel company Holiday Extras reveals that one in thirty British travelers has already altered their holiday plans due to border queues, and nearly a fifth are likely to do so this year. Projected onto official data on UK outbound trips-96 million annually with an average spend of £830 per Schengen trip-the research suggests a potential loss of £1.9 billion in UK tourist revenue to the Schengen Zone in 2026 alone.
Spain, as the top destination for British tourists, faces the largest absolute loss estimated at £720 million, followed by France (£370 million) and Italy (£190 million). These figures underscore how the technical teething problems at borders could translate into a substantial tourism downturn. The human impact of the border delays has been stark, with multiple incidents reported since the system's rollout.
In one severe case, around 100 easyJet passengers were stranded at Milan Linate airport after their flight to Manchester was delayed and eventually departed half empty because crew reached their regulatory working hour limits amid three-hour queues. Some travelers became ill, with reports of vomiting and passing out while waiting. The airline attributed the disruption squarely to the new EES, calling it unacceptable and outside their control.
While easyJet extended the flight's departure by 52 minutes to accommodate delayed passengers, the operational constraints proved insurmountable. This episode exemplifies the cascading effects of border technology failures on passenger welfare and airline scheduling, amplifying concerns about the prolonged adjustment period forecast by Frontex officials
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