EES system already creating airport queues: ACI EUROPE calls for urgent changes before summer rush
Introduction of the new Entry/Exit System (EES) The Schengen area's expansion has caused serious operational problems at European airports. Passengers are already facing long waits at key hubs.
Border controls need greater flexibility
The head of ACI EUROPE and CEO of Fraport, Stefan Schulte, used the annual congress in Prague to send a clear warning to the European Commission. According to him, the current EES procedures are not sustainable during peak loads. The aviation sector therefore demands the urgent introduction of a mechanism that would allow border services to temporarily suspend the system during periods of greatest congestion. This would prevent a complete collapse of traffic during the upcoming summer surge.
The EU's new aviation strategy must promote competitiveness
This operational question comes at a time when the European Union is preparing its new aviation strategy. The industry states that the emphasis of the legislation should be on economic growth and regional cohesion. Although decarbonisation remains the key objective, the stability of the European single market directly depends on the strength of air connectivity. This air connectivity drives investment and the tourism sector.
Airports are therefore appealing for the retention of a stable regulatory framework. Changes to the rules on granting slots and the announced revision of the Airport Charges Directive could, according to experts, undermine investor confidence. Such changes would directly slow down planned infrastructure projects worth 360 billion euros. This is how much airports need in the coming decades for modernisation and the transition to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
