On 12 October 2026, ACI EUROPE and Airlines for Europe (A4E) published a joint six-point plan to cut Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) border delays. For travel sellers, the news is operational: EES is still required for covered third-country nationals, and long queues remain a real risk for connections.
This note is for OTAs and airlines. It is not legal advice.
What they reported
Nearly six months after full EES implementation (10 April 2026), the trade bodies say waiting times remain "unacceptably high," reaching up to five hours at peak traffic in extreme cases and routinely exceeding two hours. They point to staffing gaps, IT instability, limited self-service kiosks and automated border gates, and limited use of the Travel to Europe pre-registration app.
The six proposals
These are industry proposals, not EU law changes. Do not tell passengers that biometrics have been waived.
What OTAs and airlines should do now
Keep EES messaging on. Non-EU short-stay travelers still face biometric registration (facial image and, where applicable, fingerprints) on first entry at participating borders.
Build connection buffers. For Schengen arrivals with tight onward flights, warn about possible multi-hour border waits at peak periods.
Point to official pre-enrolment only. If you mention Travel to Europe, use the official EU channel and say coverage and features still vary by Member State.
Separate EES from ETIAS. ETIAS is still not accepting applications. Do not sell or collect an ETIAS fee. The current window is in ETIAS won't launch in 2026 and on the ETIAS page.
Keep the carrier notes separate. Stamp checks via the Carrier Interface are a different topic. See stamp checks end from 7 October 2026 and eu-LISA Carrier Interface checks.
Related: ETA travel-readiness window for airlines and OTAs and eVisa API for OTAs and airlines.
Coverage alerts send one email per rule change for the destinations you pick, from the partner console. Systems can take the same events as webhooks; the shape is in the developer docs. The live requirement for any passport is always in the requirements checker.
Information current at publication (13 Oct 2026), based on the sources below. Not legal advice. The six points are an industry request. They do not change what a border post is required to do today.
ACI EUROPE, 12 Oct 2026 verified 13 Oct 2026 · eu-LISA, EES fully deployed verified 13 Oct 2026 · Travel Weekly, 13 Oct 2026 verified 13 Oct 2026