EU border delays in the summer ‘unbearable’, the airport boss has warned

With the EES system, digital records linked to passports track “third country” nationals – including British and American travelers – as they enter and leave the so-called Schengen free movement zone, which includes 29 European countries.

However, airlines UK and airlines for the US said the EES release was inconsistent.

He added: “As peak summer travel approaches and the system is not working as expected, airlines want the Commission and member states to take emergency measures seriously and ensure that the current timeline is realistic.”

Steve Heppy, chief executive of Jet2, said the airline “has found the continuity of the policy very confusing – if not clearly enforced”.

Allowing ESS inspections to be stopped when systems are not ready “provides a better experience for vacationers,” he said.

Von Massenbach said that there was a “very high-level meeting” in Brussels on Wednesday, “and now we see that they are starting to understand that this situation is unbearable, that it is unbearable in the summer.”

Airports lobby group ACI Europe wrote in a letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen that border control times are now up to five hours during peak traffic periods and could get worse as the busiest time of the year approaches.

“Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, passengers stuck in border control queues,” he warned.

Countries have the ability to suspend EES checks in certain circumstances.

However, ACI Europe argued that states should be allowed to proactively stop the system if large numbers of passengers are expected.

“Every effort is being made to limit the impact[of the EES]on travelers from outside the EU,” an EC spokesman said.

He said the impact was “limited” at “most” EU airports and that in cases where member states were unable to provide sufficient numbers of border guards, appropriate infrastructure and automated equipment.

He said that the EC continues to support the new system and is willing to do more “in view of the coming summer”.