On 23 June, day two of ACI EUROPE’s congress in Prague, association president Stefan Schulte delivered a blunt assessment of the EU’s much-delayed Entry/Exit System. Speaking alongside European Commission transport chief Magda Kopczyńska, Schulte said the biometric border database, due to go fully live later this summer, is already causing “hours-long” queues at peak times and could paralyse airports during the July holiday surge if flexibility is not granted to suspend formalities. His remarks resonate strongly in Czechia, where Prague Airport expects record summer traffic even as its main runway refurbishment channels departures over densely populated districts, limiting operational slack. Border Police representatives at the session acknowledged they have yet to test EES at 100 % load and are still recruiting staff.
![‘EES chaos’ warning issued at Prague aviation congress]()
For companies that prefer expert, on-the-ground assistance navigating these rapidly evolving border requirements, VisaHQ can step in with tailored Schengen and Czech Republic entry solutions. Its dedicated Czechia portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) aggregates up-to-the-minute EES developments, visa-eligibility checkers and express document-processing options—helping travel managers and individuals secure the right paperwork and avoid last-minute surprises.
Schulte’s broader message—a call for an EU Aviation Strategy centred on competitiveness—also has Czech implications. He urged the Commission to leave airport charges untouched, speed approvals for biometric e-gates and earmark emissions-trading revenues for sustainable-fuel deployment. Czech carriers Smartwings and CSA, along with Prague Airport, back those positions and met privately with EU officials on the margins of the congress. For global-mobility teams the key insight is to brace travellers for potential passport-control delays across the Schengen area—Prague included—and to maintain contingency plans (e.g., longer connection windows, fast-track services) until the EES stabilises. Companies scheduling group moves or project-kick-offs in Czechia in July-August should factor additional buffer time for arrivals and consider remote-work alternatives where feasible.
For companies that prefer expert, on-the-ground assistance navigating these rapidly evolving border requirements, VisaHQ can step in with tailored Schengen and Czech Republic entry solutions. Its dedicated Czechia portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) aggregates up-to-the-minute EES developments, visa-eligibility checkers and express document-processing options—helping travel managers and individuals secure the right paperwork and avoid last-minute surprises.
Schulte’s broader message—a call for an EU Aviation Strategy centred on competitiveness—also has Czech implications. He urged the Commission to leave airport charges untouched, speed approvals for biometric e-gates and earmark emissions-trading revenues for sustainable-fuel deployment. Czech carriers Smartwings and CSA, along with Prague Airport, back those positions and met privately with EU officials on the margins of the congress. For global-mobility teams the key insight is to brace travellers for potential passport-control delays across the Schengen area—Prague included—and to maintain contingency plans (e.g., longer connection windows, fast-track services) until the EES stabilises. Companies scheduling group moves or project-kick-offs in Czechia in July-August should factor additional buffer time for arrivals and consider remote-work alternatives where feasible.
