Barely ten weeks after the European Union switched on its long-awaited Entry/Exit System (EES), Italian airports are already warning of an operational crisis. The digital border-control platform, which became mandatory on 12 October, requires every non-EU traveller to record facial images and four fingerprints at their first point of entry into the Schengen Area. While the technology promises to end manual passport stamping and tighten enforcement of the 90/180-day rule, technical glitches have lengthened processing times by up to 70 per cent at Rome-Fiumicino, Milan-Malpensa and Venice-Marco Polo. Holiday-season traffic has pushed peak queues to three hours, angering airlines and mobility managers who rely on tight connection windows for itinerant staff.
Airport Council International (ACI) Europe, which represents the continent’s hubs, has written to the European Commission, eu-LISA and Frontex urging an “immediate review” of the roll-out plan. According to the letter, seen by industry daily The Local Europe, self-service kiosks regularly crash, Automated Border-Control (ABC) gates cannot retrieve biometric templates, and the promised pre-registration smartphone app remains in beta. If those issues are not fixed before the registration threshold rises from 15 to 35 per cent on 9 January, ACI warns of “systemic disruption” that could compromise safety as crowds build in sterile areas.
For Italy, the stakes are high. Business-traveller throughput has finally rebounded to 102 per cent of 2019 levels, driven by semiconductor investment in Lombardy and an events calendar that includes the February 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina. Multinational firms report that senior staff are missing rail connections and onward flights because of unpredictable border delays. Rumours that some carriers might reroute premium services through Zurich or Vienna if congestion persists have rattled hoteliers and conference organisers.
![Italy’s airports battle long queues as new EU Entry/Exit System falters]()
Amid this uncertainty, travellers and corporate mobility teams can lean on VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) for up-to-date guidance on Schengen entry rules, EES biometric procedures and visa requirements. The service aggregates official advisories, provides step-by-step application support, and gives companies a dashboard to monitor employee compliance—helping to minimise disruption and keep itineraries on track while the new system beds in.
The Interior Ministry says it has deployed 200 extra Polizia di Frontiera officers and ordered airports to double the number of floor-walkers who guide travellers through biometric booths. ENAC (the civil-aviation regulator) is testing a “green-lane” for crew and frequent-business-travellers whose data have already been captured, but unions argue that priority channels are unfair while families queue for hours. The government is also lobbying Brussels to give airports flexibility to cap daily EES registrations until the platform stabilises.
Practical take-away for corporate mobility teams: budget extra time on inbound itineraries, alert travellers to download the EU’s EES Mobile app once it is publicly released, and ensure assignees carry printed invitation letters—border officers report that travellers who can prove the commercial purpose of their trip are being waved through secondary screening more quickly.
Airport Council International (ACI) Europe, which represents the continent’s hubs, has written to the European Commission, eu-LISA and Frontex urging an “immediate review” of the roll-out plan. According to the letter, seen by industry daily The Local Europe, self-service kiosks regularly crash, Automated Border-Control (ABC) gates cannot retrieve biometric templates, and the promised pre-registration smartphone app remains in beta. If those issues are not fixed before the registration threshold rises from 15 to 35 per cent on 9 January, ACI warns of “systemic disruption” that could compromise safety as crowds build in sterile areas.
For Italy, the stakes are high. Business-traveller throughput has finally rebounded to 102 per cent of 2019 levels, driven by semiconductor investment in Lombardy and an events calendar that includes the February 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina. Multinational firms report that senior staff are missing rail connections and onward flights because of unpredictable border delays. Rumours that some carriers might reroute premium services through Zurich or Vienna if congestion persists have rattled hoteliers and conference organisers.
Amid this uncertainty, travellers and corporate mobility teams can lean on VisaHQ’s Italy portal (https://www.visahq.com/italy/) for up-to-date guidance on Schengen entry rules, EES biometric procedures and visa requirements. The service aggregates official advisories, provides step-by-step application support, and gives companies a dashboard to monitor employee compliance—helping to minimise disruption and keep itineraries on track while the new system beds in.
The Interior Ministry says it has deployed 200 extra Polizia di Frontiera officers and ordered airports to double the number of floor-walkers who guide travellers through biometric booths. ENAC (the civil-aviation regulator) is testing a “green-lane” for crew and frequent-business-travellers whose data have already been captured, but unions argue that priority channels are unfair while families queue for hours. The government is also lobbying Brussels to give airports flexibility to cap daily EES registrations until the platform stabilises.
Practical take-away for corporate mobility teams: budget extra time on inbound itineraries, alert travellers to download the EU’s EES Mobile app once it is publicly released, and ensure assignees carry printed invitation letters—border officers report that travellers who can prove the commercial purpose of their trip are being waved through secondary screening more quickly.
