France’s two busiest hubs, Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY), have formally asked Brussels to defer the full deployment of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) until the end of the 2026 summer season. In a statement released on 23 February 2026, Aéroports de Paris (ADP) warned that switching every non-EU traveller to biometric ‘self-service’ border checks in April could trigger queues of three to four hours—a scenario that would snarl connecting traffic and undermine France’s reputation in the run-up to the 2026/27 winter trade-fair cycle. EES, already in a phased trial since October 2025, requires third-country visitors to scan fingerprints and a live facial image on first entry, with the data stored for future trips. Trials at CDG have involved just a few hundred passengers per hour; in July and August, the airport expects peaks of 12,000 non-Schengen arrivals per hour.
![Paris Airports Urge EU to Postpone Full EES Roll-Out Until After Summer Peak]()
For travellers who would rather not leave anything to chance, VisaHQ can help. The service’s dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) provides up-to-date guidance on EES-related entry rules, streamlines visa paperwork, and coordinates appointment scheduling—saving both individual passengers and corporate travel managers precious time.
ADP deputy CEO Justine Coutard said that despite installing 300 registration kiosks and ordering 120 more, “we have not yet stress-tested the system under summer loads.” Amsterdam-Schiphol, Frankfurt and Lisbon—early EES adopters—have reported wait-time spikes of up to 70 percent, reinforcing the Paris operators’ call for caution. Under current EU rules the system becomes mandatory on 10 April, with limited six-hour suspension windows allowed for congestion. ADP argues that a blanket exemption through September would allow airports to finish staff training, expand device fleets and debug software before Europe’s peak leisure months. Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (ECTAA) immediately backed the French proposal, noting potential ripple effects on hub-and-spoke connections across the continent. For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: until Brussels responds, travellers holding non-EU passports should prepare for longer arrivals processing at French airports from mid-April. Companies running rotational assignments or time-critical cargo in hand-carry should build extra buffers into itineraries and monitor EU deliberations closely. Should the postponement be granted, summer travel could proceed with fewer disruptions, but autumn 2026 may become the new ‘crunch point’ for EES compliance.
For travellers who would rather not leave anything to chance, VisaHQ can help. The service’s dedicated France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) provides up-to-date guidance on EES-related entry rules, streamlines visa paperwork, and coordinates appointment scheduling—saving both individual passengers and corporate travel managers precious time.
ADP deputy CEO Justine Coutard said that despite installing 300 registration kiosks and ordering 120 more, “we have not yet stress-tested the system under summer loads.” Amsterdam-Schiphol, Frankfurt and Lisbon—early EES adopters—have reported wait-time spikes of up to 70 percent, reinforcing the Paris operators’ call for caution. Under current EU rules the system becomes mandatory on 10 April, with limited six-hour suspension windows allowed for congestion. ADP argues that a blanket exemption through September would allow airports to finish staff training, expand device fleets and debug software before Europe’s peak leisure months. Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the European Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (ECTAA) immediately backed the French proposal, noting potential ripple effects on hub-and-spoke connections across the continent. For corporate mobility managers the message is clear: until Brussels responds, travellers holding non-EU passports should prepare for longer arrivals processing at French airports from mid-April. Companies running rotational assignments or time-critical cargo in hand-carry should build extra buffers into itineraries and monitor EU deliberations closely. Should the postponement be granted, summer travel could proceed with fewer disruptions, but autumn 2026 may become the new ‘crunch point’ for EES compliance.
