The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is calling on the European Union to extend flexibility measures for its biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), warning they are needed to prevent further airport delays.
According to Biometric Update, IATA's Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Thomas Reynaert, told media in Brussels that keeping the “partial suspension” in place over the winter was “absolutely necessary.”
The EES was introduced at select airports in October 2025 before becoming fully operational across the Schengen Area in April 2026.
The option to pause the checks officially ended on 06SEP, raising concerns that more disruption could be on the way.
IATA’s call is being echoed by airlines. The Guardian reports some carriers have also asked the European Commission to extend the discretionary powers allowing countries to pause the controls when needed.
As previously reported by Open Jaw, European countries were given the option to pause EES checks over the summer to avoid extended delays during the peak travel months.
The move followed significant disruption at some European airports, with travellers facing queues of up to three hours.
But according to ETIAS, European Commission officials maintain that the launch of EES has gone smoothly, saying the system “broadly worked well over the summer.”
EES replaces passport stamping for non-EU travellers entering the 29-country Schengen Area for stays of up to 90 days, including Canadians.
Instead, travellers must complete biometric registration, including a passport scan, photograph and fingerprint collection.
