Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Paris-Orly Airports Urge EU to Delay Full Entry/Exit System Rollout in Paris Until After Summer 2026: Everything You Need to Know

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The European Commission has been asked by the Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports to postpone the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) until the summer peak of 2026. The ADP Group, which manages both airports, fears that the new biometric border control system will result in long queues during the busy summer season.

Summer Travel Season Will See Super Peak Congestion and Delays

Due to a record number of travelers expected at French airports in summer 2026, ADP has warned of increased congestion as a result of the EES system. The biometric control system, which was recently implemented at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and several other European airports including Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt, has already resulted in waiting times of three hours at peak periods.

The challenges with the EES systems not meeting the demands of the airports for self-service registration kiosks are still ongoing as 300 kiosks have already been shipped with 120 more on order. ADP is concerned that as the current timelines stand, non-EU passengers will have to register their biometric data at the Schengen border, which will cause significant delays with traffic at the border starting in April 2026.

Gradual Implementation of the System

The need to manage the logistical challenges caused by EES system activation drives the request to delay. ADP is stating that it is critical for the gradual approach to border control automation to be coupled with the recruitment of additional border control staff to address the expected increase in passenger volume. This will set the conditions for sufficient border force staff to be recruited, the self-service kiosks to be optimized, and the border control staff to be fine-tuned.

While the summer months may be challenging for travelers, the European Travel Authorisation System will be a challenge for the European Travel System. As such, travel to the Schengen Zone will carry additional risk. Further, travel to the Schengen Zone will carry additional responsibility, as it will be stressful for travelers, as it will be stressful for travelers.

Before the systems have even been completely rolled out, airports have been hijacked. Similar concerns have been raised to the airports in Lisbon and Amsterdam, where the use of biometric systems has been implemented. The Lisbon airport has had over 7-hour wait times as a result of border patrol. Due to these waits, the EES has been implemented.

The Schengen Area has always played an important role in mobility in Europe while building the EES system about modernizing border control for Europe. However, as ADP mentions, the system cannot process the sudden large increase in the number of travelers expected during the busiest summer months. This proposed grace period would allow the airports the time needed to optimize the system to make the expected operational improvements, and to process the system, for EES with smoother operations.

Expected Impact on French Airports and Travelers

With summer quickly approaching, French airports are worried that the EES will trigger long waits and delays, not only at airports in Paris such as Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly, but also in all airports of the Schengen area. French airport authorities say that the lack of a grace period will, in the end, result in huge international travel delays and a poor travel experience for travelers.

At French airports, the worst-case scenario is that the European Union decides not to provide a grace period. In this case, French airports will be forced to implement the Schengen Borders Code, permitting member states to withdraw limited parts of the EES for “serious operational difficulties.” This is an emergency measure that is more than just planning for the summer months. It is a critical issue for airport operations.

The Future of EES in Europe

While the European Commission assesses the situation, Aéroports de Paris has already started considering the EES’s potential benefits for European border management over the long term. The system will allow travelers to enter the region’s borders faster. But its implementation will cause notable challenges, especially for multiple busy travel periods requiring management of efficiency and security in the border management system.

In March 2026, the European Commission will evaluate the request and the airport leaders will hope for the best to prevent a full summer rollout of the request. The success of the EES system is balancing the resources and the infrastructure of the airports to cope with biometric processing demands during the peak travel periods.