In a pre-dawn notice on 20 February the European Commission authorised Schengen members to suspend biometric data capture under the new Entry/Exit System (EES) for up to six hours a day during the first post-launch summer peak. The emergency clause aims to prevent gridlock at external borders when tens of millions of third-country visitors arrive. Austrian Interior-Ministry officials told local media they will use the flexibility at Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck airports between late June and early September if queues exceed 45 minutes. Travellers will still undergo standard passport checks, but facial images and fingerprints can be deferred and later matched via back-office databases—a process privacy advocates say needs tight auditing. Airlines welcomed the move. Austrian Airlines estimated that full EES capture can add 30-40 seconds per passenger; at VIE’s morning trans-Atlantic bank that inflates dwelling times by more than an hour without extra kiosks. Ground-handling firm Celebi is hiring 120 temporary agents to shepherd non-EU passengers through secondary screening when biometrics resume. For global-mobility managers, the headline is fewer missed connections during the crucial summer project-deployment window. However, they should brief non-EEA assignees that the suspension is discretionary and may vary by day. Carrying proof of onward travel and accommodation remains essential, as border guards retain the right to conduct full interviews if risk indicators arise.
Source: Schengen Travel News
