Vienna Airport Reports Major Delays as EU Entry/Exit System Goes Live

Vienna-Schwechat Airport confirmed on April 13 that the newly mandatory EU Entry/Exit System (EES) has created significant disruptions, with queues stretching up to three hours for non-EU passengers and several morning flights departing with empty seats.www.visahq.com The biometric system, which launched on April 10, requires border guards to collect four fingerprints and a facial image from third-country nationals entering the Schengen Area for the first time. While the European Commission estimates the process takes 70 seconds per traveler, real-world trials show initial enrollment can exceed two minutes, creating bottlenecks when multiple wide-body aircraft land simultaneously. In response, Vienna Airport has recommended that non-EU passport holders arrive at least three hours before departure.

The implementation has created immediate compliance challenges for business travelers and corporate mobility managers. Because EES automatically calculates days spent in Schengen, any unscheduled overnight stay caused by missed connections now brings travelers closer to the critical 90-in-180-day visa-free limit, potentially triggering immigration violations. Companies are advising employees to carry evidence of business purpose and to alert immigration counsel if re-routing extends their stay beyond planned schedules. Airlines have updated pre-departure emails with EES reminders and warned that no-show fees will still apply even if passengers miss flights due to border delays.

The disruptions extend across Europe, with airports in Portugal temporarily suspending biometric collection due to excessive wait times, while Milan Linate Airport saw only 34 of 156 passengers board an easyJet flight to Manchester on schedule.www.biometricupdate.com Industry groups Airlines for Europe and Airports Council International have called on the European Commission to allow full or partial suspensions of EES during peak travel periods, citing waiting times regularly reaching two hours at border crossing points.www.biometricupdate.com The EU has permitted countries to partially suspend EES operations for an additional 90-day period after launch, with a possible 60-day extension to cover the summer peak.