British travel industry leaders, including ABTA and Advantage Travel Partnership, have urged the EU to suspend its upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES) checks during high-demand periods to prevent chaos at borders.www.majorcadailybulletin.comwww.majorcadailybulletin.comwww.ttgmedia.com The call came on March 26, 2026, amid concerns that the EES, set to fully replace manual passport stamping from April 10, could lead to severe delays as summer travel ramps up. Advantage CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said highlighted the system's shaky rollout since October 2025, warning of flight misses for Britons at unprepared airports like those in the Balearics.

The EES requires non-EU travelers, including Britons, to scan passports and provide biometrics such as fingerprints and facial images at kiosks upon entry and exit from the Schengen Area.www.afar.comwww.thetimes.com While launched last year, full deployment has faced readiness issues, prompting some EU states to seek temporary suspensions during busy times. Balearic airports are adapting by creating dedicated non-Schengen zones for British passengers, but industry groups argue for broader flexibility to maintain efficiency and avoid "catastrophic collapses."www.visahq.com

This lobbying coincides with the delayed ETIAS authorization system, now slated for late 2026, which will require a €7 fee for visa-exempt visitors. Travel associations like ACI Europe and IATA have echoed calls for pauses, citing risks of four-hour queues without fixes to staffing and tech glitches. As peak season nears, the push underscores ongoing post-Brexit frictions in UK-EU travel, with Britons advised to monitor updates closely.