With the autumn school holidays about to begin, Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport is warning passengers—especially those from outside the EU—to be at the terminal at least three hours before departure. In a statement on 1 October 2026, Fraport said the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES), fully deployed across German airports since April, is adding significant time at border controls as biometric data are captured. The airport expects 3.5 million passengers between 2 and 18 October, with 650,000 on the first holiday weekend alone. While EU citizens can usually clear automated EasyPASS e-gates within minutes, third-country nationals must now enrol fingerprints and a facial image the first time they use EES, a process that can take several minutes per traveller and causes queues at peak times. Fraport has hired extra staff to guide passengers, but says infrastructure upgrades alone cannot offset the regulatory requirements. Travellers with hold luggage should be at the airport 2.5 hours ahead, while hand-luggage-only flyers should allow two hours if they do not require passport control. Business travellers with tight connections should factor in longer minimum connecting times or consider the airport’s paid "Fast Lane" service. The warning is a bellwether for other German hubs. Munich and Berlin report similar throughput drops during initial EES enrolment waves, and airlines are beginning to pad schedules. Companies running commuter rotations through Frankfurt should update travel policies and remind staff to carry biometric passports; non-chip documents are no longer accepted at automated kiosks. Looking ahead, the airport plans pilot "pre-registration" counters where frequent travellers can complete EES formalities on off-peak days, but no launch date has been announced. Until then, early arrival remains the only defence against missing flights.
Source: Frankfurter Rundschau
