Europe’s brand-new Entry/Exit System (EES) – the biometric IT platform that has replaced manual passport stamping for most non-EU travellers since April – has run into serious operational turbulence at the start of the summer peak. In an open letter dated 1 July 2026, Europe’s three largest aviation trade bodies (ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe and IATA) warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that border-control queues are stretching to five hours at a growing list of airports. Travellers are missing flight connections, aircraft are departing half-empty, and front-line police staff are overwhelmed.
Although the appeal is addressed to Brussels, the consequences are being felt on the ground in Prague as well. Vaclav Havel Airport is one of 29 external-border airports where the EES is now fully operational, and it handled more than 17 million passengers in 2025. Czech officials say they have already activated contingency lanes during the morning North-American bank to prevent knock-on delays across Schengen departures. With Prague Airport forecasting a record 18.8 million passengers this year – and 40 million extra passengers expected EU-wide in July–August – any loss of processing capacity could ripple through the entire Czech travel ecosystem, from hotels and convention centres to export-oriented manufacturers that rely on just-in-time business travel.
At times like these, services such as VisaHQ’s Czech Republic hub (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) can be a lifesaver for both corporate mobility teams and leisure travellers. The platform consolidates the latest EES guidance, visa requirements and biometric-enrolment tips, allowing users to submit paperwork online and receive alerts whenever Czech or EU border procedures change—an easy way to reduce the risk of last-minute surprises at Prague’s checkpoints.
![Airports call for flexibility as Schengen Entry/Exit System sparks five-hour queues]()
The aviation bodies are asking the Commission to give member states the legal freedom to “switch off” EES biometrics temporarily whenever passenger volumes outstrip the physical capacity of border booths. They also want a permanent flexibility mechanism ready by September that would let Border Police suspend biometric capture under defined exceptional circumstances. Without that backstop, they argue, Europe risks reputational damage and “undermining tourism and connectivity” at the very moment it is competing with the US and Gulf hubs for long-haul transfer traffic.
For Czech corporate mobility managers the message is clear: build in longer minimum connection times for non-EU executives transiting via Prague or other Schengen hubs; advise VIP travellers to enrol fingerprints and facial images at quieter times of day where possible; and monitor any Commission decision on short-term derogations. Should full suspension authority be granted, companies will need to communicate rapidly with travellers about which airports are applying the opt-out on a given day. Travel-risk policies should be updated to reflect potential queuing times far beyond the 45-minute Schengen norm.
In the medium term, Czechia’s Interior Ministry says it is accelerating installation of additional automated e-gates at Terminal 2 and negotiating bilateral fast-track lanes with selected partner countries. But these projects will not come online before 2027. Until then, the success or failure of Brussels’ response – expected within weeks – will determine whether Czech exporters enjoy a smooth summer conference season or face a wave of missed meetings and re-routings.
Although the appeal is addressed to Brussels, the consequences are being felt on the ground in Prague as well. Vaclav Havel Airport is one of 29 external-border airports where the EES is now fully operational, and it handled more than 17 million passengers in 2025. Czech officials say they have already activated contingency lanes during the morning North-American bank to prevent knock-on delays across Schengen departures. With Prague Airport forecasting a record 18.8 million passengers this year – and 40 million extra passengers expected EU-wide in July–August – any loss of processing capacity could ripple through the entire Czech travel ecosystem, from hotels and convention centres to export-oriented manufacturers that rely on just-in-time business travel.
At times like these, services such as VisaHQ’s Czech Republic hub (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) can be a lifesaver for both corporate mobility teams and leisure travellers. The platform consolidates the latest EES guidance, visa requirements and biometric-enrolment tips, allowing users to submit paperwork online and receive alerts whenever Czech or EU border procedures change—an easy way to reduce the risk of last-minute surprises at Prague’s checkpoints.
The aviation bodies are asking the Commission to give member states the legal freedom to “switch off” EES biometrics temporarily whenever passenger volumes outstrip the physical capacity of border booths. They also want a permanent flexibility mechanism ready by September that would let Border Police suspend biometric capture under defined exceptional circumstances. Without that backstop, they argue, Europe risks reputational damage and “undermining tourism and connectivity” at the very moment it is competing with the US and Gulf hubs for long-haul transfer traffic.
For Czech corporate mobility managers the message is clear: build in longer minimum connection times for non-EU executives transiting via Prague or other Schengen hubs; advise VIP travellers to enrol fingerprints and facial images at quieter times of day where possible; and monitor any Commission decision on short-term derogations. Should full suspension authority be granted, companies will need to communicate rapidly with travellers about which airports are applying the opt-out on a given day. Travel-risk policies should be updated to reflect potential queuing times far beyond the 45-minute Schengen norm.
In the medium term, Czechia’s Interior Ministry says it is accelerating installation of additional automated e-gates at Terminal 2 and negotiating bilateral fast-track lanes with selected partner countries. But these projects will not come online before 2027. Until then, the success or failure of Brussels’ response – expected within weeks – will determine whether Czech exporters enjoy a smooth summer conference season or face a wave of missed meetings and re-routings.
