We Are Tired of Waiting for Hours at the Border: EES Trouble and Declining Traffic at European Airports

You are aware that those endless passport queues at airports and the chaos at the gate are starting to annoy us all, right? We have been worrying about exactly this issue lately, but the expected voice finally came from the giants of the aviation industry. Airports Council International (ACI Europe) officially called on the authorities to "Take action now" for the disruptions caused by the new Entry and Exit System (EES) in the Schengen area.

When we look at the field side, the picture is very clear: Those queues that get longer and longer due to EES are literally turning people off from traveling. While the aviation industry was already going through a difficult period due to the tensions in the Middle East, dealing with these operational crises put things in a deadlock.

The numbers already confirm this stagnation. When we look at the data for the first half of the year, the growth in passenger traffic at European airports remained at 2.6%. There is a serious loss of momentum compared to the beginning of the season. The growth rate, which reached 4.3% in the first three months of the year, decreased to 1.3% in the second quarter.

So, is it only the system at the border gates that is behind this slowdown? Of course not:

Restrictions on Middle East routes: Flight capacities have been severely reduced due to conflicts in the region.

Peak fuel costs: Increasing costs tie the hands of both airlines and passengers.

Decline in global demand: According to IATA data, global demand decreased by 1.7% on an annual basis in June. We are witnessing that domestic traffic has surpassed the international market for the first time since the pandemic.

Despite all these turmoil, the demand from European and North American travelers in the summer season is still quite high. People want to travel and travel; However, this disorder at the gates leaves the ambitions at bay.

As ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec stated; If we want to preserve the reputation of European tourism and revive air traffic in the second half of the year, we must resolve the flaws in this EES system without delay. Otherwise, we will continue to lose the passenger's trust and time.

Sources:

News/Author: Íris Marçal (sourced from Lusa)

Institutions and Data: Airports Council International (ACI Europe), International Air Transport Association (IATA)