In a 23 June 2026 interview highlighted by border-analytics site ETIAS Pro, Frontex deputy executive director Uku Särekanno cautioned that passenger bottlenecks linked to the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) could last “one to two years” after full rollout. The EES replaced passport stamps with biometric scans at external Schengen borders on 10 April 2026, including Spain’s airports and ferry ports. Särekanno explained that first-time enrolment—capturing facial images and four fingerprints—remains the critical choke-point. If traffic rebounds as forecast, border booths risk saturation during the 2027 summer peak unless member states accelerate e-gate expansions and staffing. Spain’s interior ministry has ordered 150 additional ABC e-gates for Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, but installation will stretch into early 2027. Airlines serving Spain are already lobbying for a “lighter touch” re-enrolment rule: once a traveller’s biometrics are on file, subsequent crossings should default to facial recognition only, reducing transaction time from 90 to 20 seconds. The European Commission says such optimisation is possible but insists carriers must step up pre-departure data-quality checks via Advance Passenger Information routers. For mobility managers the implications are immediate: advise staff and assignees entering Spain on non-EU passports to expect longer queues this summer—especially at land borders with Gibraltar and ferry terminals in Algeciras and Almería, where infrastructure lags airports. Premium-lane services or VIP fast track may offer limited relief until enrolment penetrates the traveller base. The same Frontex briefing noted that the flexibility window allowing temporary EES suspension—originally valid until September 2026—will not be extended. Consequently, contingency planning around missed rail or connecting flights remains a prudent step for corporate-travel policies through at least mid-2028.
Source: ETIAS Pro
