- Ryanair wants the European Commission to extend temporary EES flexibility until at least April 2027.
- Travelers faced two to three hour waits this summer at airports including Krakow, Lisbon, Milan and Rome.
- The relief expired September 6, 2026, leaving border posts without a formal way to pause biometric checks.
The temporary relief that let European countries pause parts of the biometric Entry/Exit System during congestion expired September 6, 2026. Ryanair is asking the European Commission to restore that flexibility until at least April 2027, blaming malfunctioning kiosks, staffing shortages and long queues for continued disruption.
The airline says travelers waited two to three hours this summer at airports including Krakow, Lisbon, Milan and Rome. Some airport waits exceeded four hours. The end of the congestion buffer leaves border posts without a formal option to suspend parts of the process when queues surge.
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First-time registration adds another step. Non-EU travelers must have biometric data captured as the system replaces manual passport stamps with digital entry and exit records containing fingerprints and facial images.
The rollout began in October 2025 and became fully operational on 10 April 2026. Authorities then used temporary flexibility as a summer congestion buffer, allowing member states to suspend biometric collection or other parts of the process during pressure at the border.
The airline says airports still need time. It has pointed to faulty kiosks, limited staffing, incomplete system readiness and insufficient e-gate access.
It also singled out Spain. Ryanair said Spanish authorities had “failed to ensure adequate staffing, system readiness, or the installation of kiosks.”
The summer buffer has ended as airports face the full rollout
| Before September 6, 2026 | After September 6, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Congestion response | Member states could suspend parts of EES during severe queues. | Border posts lost the formal flexibility to pause parts of the system when lines spike. |
| Traveler processing | Some crossings could delay biometric collection during peak pressure. | First-time enrollment continues alongside passport-control processing where full checks apply. |
| Fixes sought by the airline | Authorities had temporary room to manage the summer rush. | Ryanair wants more time to repair kiosks, expand e-gate access and improve staffing. |
| Requested end date | The relief operated as a temporary summer measure. | The airline wants the arrangement extended until at least April 2027. |
Queues have affected more than one national system. Airports in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and Germany were repeatedly identified as trouble spots during the rollout. The disruption combines first-time biometric enrollment with unreliable equipment and uneven staffing at border posts.
Brussels has offered a more positive assessment. A European Commission spokesperson said on September 1, 2026, that the system had “broadly worked well over the summer.” The spokesperson added that “some adjustments are needed at certain border crossing points.”
The agency’s position contrasts with the airline’s request for a longer derogation. Ryanair argues that airports and border authorities have not had enough time to repair kiosks, deploy automated gates and recruit or assign sufficient border staff.
Thomas Reynaert of IATA said extending partial suspensions was “absolutely necessary until the end of the winter season.” He cited the need to fully deploy self-service kiosks, automated gates and border staffing before authorities enforce the system without the temporary safety valve.
Cross-Channel operators are preparing for different stages of the change
Eurostar said, “The phased rollout of EES continues. EES enrolments will continue to be completed manually by border officers.” That approach keeps registration in the hands of border staff while the wider system moves forward.
A Eurotunnel spokesperson said the operator was “awaiting confirmation from the French authorities on the timing of this next phase.” The spokesperson also said it was “ready to implement full biometric checks as soon as formal clearance is granted”.
The competing approaches reflect the uneven pace of implementation. Some crossings are still completing enrollment manually, while others are preparing for full biometric processing after the September deadline.
The airline’s requested extension would run through the winter and into April 2027. Until then, passengers crossing the affected borders may encounter a process that combines digital registration, manual intervention and waits driven by kiosk and staffing capacity.
