On Friday, November 13, Federal Councillor Beat Jans convened senior officials of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Zurich and Geneva airports, and representatives of SWISS, easyJet and ground-handling firms to address growing passenger-flow problems at Swiss border checkpoints. Since Switzerland introduced the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) in October 2025, peak-hour waits for third-country nationals have sometimes exceeded 60–90 minutes, putting Schengen transfer connections and airline punctuality at risk. Participants examined preliminary data showing that, over twelve months, EES registered more than 225 million cross-border movements in the Schengen area and refused entry to 78 000 travellers for overstays or other violations. While authorities praised the security benefits, airport operators warned that the manual interview step required by Schengen rules is becoming a bottleneck at Zurich’s non-Schengen pier and Geneva’s French sector. The meeting floated the creation of a National Facilitating Programme (NFP) – a voluntary pre-screening scheme that would allow frequent business travellers from countries such as the UK, United States and Gulf states to complete background checks before arrival. Once enrolled, travellers could use automated e-Gates without a second interview, cutting processing time from the current 90 seconds to about 20 seconds per person. Industry groups welcomed the idea, noting that similar “registered traveller” programmes already exist in the Netherlands (Privium) and Germany (EasyPASS PLUS). SWISS estimated that even a 15 % shift of eligible passengers to e-Gates would save the airline 2 000 crew-delay minutes per month and reduce missed connections at its Zurich hub. The SEM will now draft a legal feasibility study and report back to the Federal Council by April 2027. For global-mobility managers the potential NFP offers faster arrival for assignees and VIP clients, but also raises questions about data sharing and the need to schedule enrolment appointments months before travel. Until reforms are agreed, Zurich and Geneva airports will add temporary staff this winter and expand signage to guide unfamiliar travellers through the EES process.
Source: Swiss Federal Council (admin.ch)
