Low-cost carrier Ryanair has written to France’s interior ministry asking for a three-month suspension of the new Entry/Exit System from June to September 2026. In a detailed memo seen by aviation site Flywest on 4 May, the airline claims passengers at Beauvais, Marseille and Nantes already face two-hour waits and risks of missed flights. Ryanair argues that border-police staffing and kiosk numbers are inadequate for the surge of leisure travellers expected once schools break up. While the company supports the security objectives of EES, it says introducing the system at the height of the holiday season is “operationally reckless”. The airline wants France to revert temporarily to manual passport stamping—an option allowed under an EU ‘flex mode’ decision issued on 2 May. The request places political pressure on Paris, which has thus far maintained that only limited, case-by-case derogations will be used. Other carriers and ACI Europe back Ryanair’s plea, warning that gate delays cascade into aircraft turnaround times, slot penalties and crew-duty infringements. For mobility and travel managers, advance communication will be key. Companies with large volumes of seasonal assignees or interns should budget extra transit time and monitor whether French authorities concede a broader summer waiver that could suddenly change procedures at the gate.
Source: Flywest
