Travel-industry associations ACI Europe and ABTA have written to the European Commission urging it to rethink the April 10 deadline for full deployment of the biometric Entry-Exit System (EES). The Guardian reports that queues could hit five hours across Europe unless border authorities are allowed to keep the current ‘soft-launch’ cap of 35 % enrolment through the busy summer period.(theguardian.com) For Switzerland the stakes are high: Zürich, Geneva and Basel are all external-Schengen airports and would have to fingerprint and photograph every non-EU passenger during the peak July–August holiday season.
Airport operators fear a reputational hit if alpine tourists start their trip with marathon waits. Zürich Airport estimates it would need 120 additional officers and 50 new kiosks to meet the hard deadline. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security says procurement lead-times make that impossible.
Travellers anxious about the impending EES procedures can get ahead of the curve by confirming their visa status and entry requirements before they fly. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) lets individuals and corporate mobility managers check eligibility, file Schengen or transit applications online and receive real-time alerts on regulatory changes—services that can help shorten time spent at border kiosks once the biometric system goes fully live.
![Industry warns Swiss airports of summer chaos unless EU eases biometric deadline]()
Swiss travel retailers and hospitality groups are lobbying Bern to support a phased approach. They point out that leisure travel, still recovering from the pandemic, could lose momentum just as China and the United States lift remaining testing rules. A five-hour wait in Zürich would push high-spending inter-continental visitors towards hubs in Vienna or Munich.
If Brussels refuses to budge, Swiss carriers may need to adjust schedules to spread arrivals throughout the day, and companies should brief staff to avoid tight connections. Mobility managers should also consider booking assignees on early-morning flights, when queues are shortest.
The episode highlights a wider governance issue: as a Schengen associate Switzerland must enforce rules it cannot amend. The Federal Council is therefore likely to coordinate closely with France and Germany, whose airports face similar constraints, to press for pragmatic flexibility.
Airport operators fear a reputational hit if alpine tourists start their trip with marathon waits. Zürich Airport estimates it would need 120 additional officers and 50 new kiosks to meet the hard deadline. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security says procurement lead-times make that impossible.
Travellers anxious about the impending EES procedures can get ahead of the curve by confirming their visa status and entry requirements before they fly. VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) lets individuals and corporate mobility managers check eligibility, file Schengen or transit applications online and receive real-time alerts on regulatory changes—services that can help shorten time spent at border kiosks once the biometric system goes fully live.
Swiss travel retailers and hospitality groups are lobbying Bern to support a phased approach. They point out that leisure travel, still recovering from the pandemic, could lose momentum just as China and the United States lift remaining testing rules. A five-hour wait in Zürich would push high-spending inter-continental visitors towards hubs in Vienna or Munich.
If Brussels refuses to budge, Swiss carriers may need to adjust schedules to spread arrivals throughout the day, and companies should brief staff to avoid tight connections. Mobility managers should also consider booking assignees on early-morning flights, when queues are shortest.
The episode highlights a wider governance issue: as a Schengen associate Switzerland must enforce rules it cannot amend. The Federal Council is therefore likely to coordinate closely with France and Germany, whose airports face similar constraints, to press for pragmatic flexibility.
