Transportation

Frankfurt Airport warns of 3-hour waits over EES kiosk delays

Photo: Westlight - stock.adobe.com

August 13, 2026

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Germany's Frankfurt Airport is advising non-EU travelers to arrive at least three hours before departure because of delays associated with Europe's Entry/Exit System, or EES, according to an Identity Week report. The biometric border-control system has struggled with technical problems and heavy summer passenger volumes, with Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Munich among the airports reporting significant delays at biometric kiosks. At peak periods, waits have reportedly reached two to three hours.

The EES was fully deployed in Oct. 2025, and queues have reportedly doubled compared with the previous year. Ryanair's chief executive has appealed to the 29 Schengen countries over the situation, criticizing the physical kiosk process while emphasizing that passengers remain responsible for reaching their boarding gates on time. Countries currently have some ability to temporarily suspend EES procedures when excessive lines develop, but those exemptions are expected to become more limited beginning in September.

Airports Council International, the International Air Transport Association and Airlines for Europe warned in Feb. that three problems were contributing to EES delays: insufficient border-control staffing, unresolved technology issues and limited adoption of the Frontex pre-registration app among Schengen countries. The European Union has also delayed the separate European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, although its implementation timeline is not directly tied to EES.