Ryanair’s public broadside against the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) has injected fresh urgency into a debate that has been simmering for months inside European aviation circles. Speaking on 2 July 2026, the airline’s chief operating officer Neal McMahon said queues triggered by the compulsory fingerprint-and-facial-scan process are already stretching to two hours at some gateways – and he fears the situation will deteriorate as the peak holiday season begins. The carrier listed seven airports across Spain, France, Italy and Poland that are already facing “major disruptions” and called on Brussels to suspend the biometric element of the scheme until at least September.
For Belgium-based corporates, the warning matters because Brussels Airport depends heavily on leisure carriers such as Ryanair and TUI fly for short-haul links used by assignees, project teams and commuters. Long queues at external Schengen borders not only delay inbound business visitors but also risk missed connections for transfer traffic using Brussels as a hub. According to airline lobby Airlines for Europe (A4E), a missed long-haul connection typically costs an airline €1,100 in re-accommodation and duty-of-care expenses, costs that eventually filter through to higher fares and tighter travel budgets.
To help travellers navigate these evolving entry requirements, VisaHQ provides real-time advice on Schengen visa and biometric formalities and offers end-to-end processing support for Belgium-bound visitors. Its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets mobility teams and individual passengers check documentation checklists, fees and turnaround times in a single place, reducing last-minute surprises at the border.
![Ryanair warns of ‘queue chaos’ as EU airports struggle with new fingerprint checks]()
The EES, fully operational since April 2026, was designed to replace manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals with an automated database that logs entries and exits. Border guards capture fingerprints and a live facial image on first entry; subsequent crossings require biometric verification. The European Commission insists the average transaction time is 70 seconds and that member states can invoke a ‘summer derogation’ to pause biometric recording if queues grow. Industry bodies ACI Europe and IATA, however, say that loophole is too narrow and have demanded a blanket opt-out when passenger volumes exceed capacity.
From a mobility-management standpoint, global employers with talent rotating through Belgium over the summer should anticipate longer dwell times at Schengen external borders – notably when staff transit through Paris-Beauvais, Milan-Bergamo or Spanish holiday hubs before continuing to Brussels. Travel managers are advised to pad road-warrior itineraries, pre-register frequent travellers where possible, and monitor airline re-accommodation policies in case of missed onward flights. Belgian companies bringing in candidates for assessment centres or short-term assignments should also warn visitors to expect additional fingerprinting on first arrival.
In the medium term, the stand-off speeds up calls for a true risk-based border model. Belgium’s Interior Ministry has already floated the idea of letting trusted-traveller kiosks handle certain non-EU nationals at Brussels Airport. If the Commission concedes more flexibility, pilots in Belgium could become a blueprint for other Schengen states – but if it digs in, further summer-season brinkmanship is likely.
For Belgium-based corporates, the warning matters because Brussels Airport depends heavily on leisure carriers such as Ryanair and TUI fly for short-haul links used by assignees, project teams and commuters. Long queues at external Schengen borders not only delay inbound business visitors but also risk missed connections for transfer traffic using Brussels as a hub. According to airline lobby Airlines for Europe (A4E), a missed long-haul connection typically costs an airline €1,100 in re-accommodation and duty-of-care expenses, costs that eventually filter through to higher fares and tighter travel budgets.
To help travellers navigate these evolving entry requirements, VisaHQ provides real-time advice on Schengen visa and biometric formalities and offers end-to-end processing support for Belgium-bound visitors. Its dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/belgium/) lets mobility teams and individual passengers check documentation checklists, fees and turnaround times in a single place, reducing last-minute surprises at the border.
The EES, fully operational since April 2026, was designed to replace manual passport stamping for non-EU nationals with an automated database that logs entries and exits. Border guards capture fingerprints and a live facial image on first entry; subsequent crossings require biometric verification. The European Commission insists the average transaction time is 70 seconds and that member states can invoke a ‘summer derogation’ to pause biometric recording if queues grow. Industry bodies ACI Europe and IATA, however, say that loophole is too narrow and have demanded a blanket opt-out when passenger volumes exceed capacity.
From a mobility-management standpoint, global employers with talent rotating through Belgium over the summer should anticipate longer dwell times at Schengen external borders – notably when staff transit through Paris-Beauvais, Milan-Bergamo or Spanish holiday hubs before continuing to Brussels. Travel managers are advised to pad road-warrior itineraries, pre-register frequent travellers where possible, and monitor airline re-accommodation policies in case of missed onward flights. Belgian companies bringing in candidates for assessment centres or short-term assignments should also warn visitors to expect additional fingerprinting on first arrival.
In the medium term, the stand-off speeds up calls for a true risk-based border model. Belgium’s Interior Ministry has already floated the idea of letting trusted-traveller kiosks handle certain non-EU nationals at Brussels Airport. If the Commission concedes more flexibility, pilots in Belgium could become a blueprint for other Schengen states – but if it digs in, further summer-season brinkmanship is likely.
