While airlines and tourism bodies continue to lobby European countries over easing the new EES entry/exit system for non-EU residents, in particular British tourists and travellers and there appears to be a legal question hanging over the new border control system, Ryanair has sounded the alarm over what may happen at Spanish airports this summer.
The airline has warned the Spanish government that the situation will become chaotic if the new border control system (EES) is not suspended. It is therefore calling for the measure to be postponed until September. “Despite having known for more than three years that the EES would become fully operational from 10 April 2026, the Spanish authorities have failed to ensure adequate staffing, system readiness or the installation of kiosks,” the airline has said, according to reports in Preferente.
This situation is already leading to long queues at passport control and, in some cases, missed flights. “Waiting times are already exceeding one to two hours at the airports of Málaga, Alicante, Lanzarote, Tenerife South, Gran Canaria, Reus and Fuerteventura, where staff shortages and system crashes continue to cause disruptions,” it warns.
Ryanair highlights that “other EU countries are adopting a more pragmatic approach, such as Greece, where the government has suspended the EES until September to manage queues during the peak of the summer season” making travel much easier for Britons.
The Irish low-cost carrier has written to the governments of the 29 Schengen Area countries, including Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, urging them to suspend the Schengen Area until September to ensure the smooth running of airports this summer.
Jet2 has praised the Greek authorities for its approach to working with the industry and putting customers first, and has urged other authorities to follow their leadership position, after the country announced the suspension of biometric checks for UK holidaymakers travelling to Greece under the EU’s new entry and exit scheme (EES).