The new EU entry/exit system (EES) could take up to two years to stabilise, according to a senior official at the European border agency Frontex. Uku Särekanno warned that some member states are struggling to implement the system, which requires non-EU travellers, including Britons, to provide fingerprints and facial images at the border.
Speaking at an Abta event, Särekanno said the initial enrolment process is the most challenging, but repeat visitors will benefit from faster entry. The EES was introduced last October and fully rolled out in April, though EU rules allow temporary suspension of checks to avoid queues at peak times. This flexibility is expected to end in September.
Concerns are mounting that the checks could cause travel chaos this summer, with consumers nervous about delays. In May, French police temporarily suspended extra checks at Dover, and Greece has suspended biometric checks for British travellers until September to prevent disruption.
Mark Tanzer, Abta’s chief executive, warned that the EES rollout is creating a damaging backdrop for summer travel to EU destinations. He urged destinations to use contingency measures where queues become unacceptably long. Tanzer also noted that early summer bookings have been hit by uncertainty over the Middle East conflict and the rising cost of living.
Shaun Morton, CEO of On the Beach, said consumers are booking later, creating uncertainty for operators. However, he expects the summer travel market to grow overall, with pent-up demand likely to boost next year’s bookings. Shares in On the Beach have fallen 30% this year after the group warned of later booking patterns.
