France’s two busiest gateways—Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY)—have formally asked the European Commission to let them halt the final phase-in of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) during the June-to-August peak.
In a press briefing on 24 February, ADP deputy-chief executive Justine Coutard said the airports had so far run only “limited pilots”, yet queues were already stretching well beyond the pre-EES norm.
Under EU law the EES must be fully operational by 10 April 2026, capturing fingerprints and facial images from every non-EU traveller the first time they enter the bloc and verifying them on subsequent trips.
Travel-industry bodies warn that kiosks and staffing are not ready: ACI Europe says initial deployments added up to 70 % to processing times, and UK ferry and rail operators report four-hour waits on busy weekends.
Coutard argued a pause would avoid “extremely risky” consequences for safety and the customer experience, noting that Paris will handle record traffic as France hosts multiple international events in 2026.
![French Airports Demand Summer Pause of EU Biometric Border Checks]()
Airlines for Europe and IATA back the call, citing unresolved software glitches and “chronic” border-guard shortages across the bloc.
If Brussels approves a suspension, France could legally revert to manual passport stamping until September, buying time to install additional self-service gates, train officers and fine-tune the mobile pre-registration app.
Against this backdrop, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s expertise to stay ahead of shifting border formalities. The company’s dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers instant visa requirement checks, step-by-step application support and live agent assistance, helping both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams prepare documentation before arrival and adjust plans smoothly if the Entry/Exit System toggles between biometric and manual processing.
Corporate mobility managers should therefore brief travellers that procedures may oscillate between digital and manual checks throughout the summer, and build longer connection buffers when itineraries route via France.
In the longer run, ADP says it remains committed to EES and will expand Parafe e-gates to interface with the new database once reliability improves.
Observers view the showdown as an important stress-test of the EU’s willingness to give member states operational flexibility while still meeting security objectives.
In a press briefing on 24 February, ADP deputy-chief executive Justine Coutard said the airports had so far run only “limited pilots”, yet queues were already stretching well beyond the pre-EES norm.
Under EU law the EES must be fully operational by 10 April 2026, capturing fingerprints and facial images from every non-EU traveller the first time they enter the bloc and verifying them on subsequent trips.
Travel-industry bodies warn that kiosks and staffing are not ready: ACI Europe says initial deployments added up to 70 % to processing times, and UK ferry and rail operators report four-hour waits on busy weekends.
Coutard argued a pause would avoid “extremely risky” consequences for safety and the customer experience, noting that Paris will handle record traffic as France hosts multiple international events in 2026.
Airlines for Europe and IATA back the call, citing unresolved software glitches and “chronic” border-guard shortages across the bloc.
If Brussels approves a suspension, France could legally revert to manual passport stamping until September, buying time to install additional self-service gates, train officers and fine-tune the mobile pre-registration app.
Against this backdrop, travellers can lean on VisaHQ’s expertise to stay ahead of shifting border formalities. The company’s dedicated France page (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers instant visa requirement checks, step-by-step application support and live agent assistance, helping both leisure visitors and corporate mobility teams prepare documentation before arrival and adjust plans smoothly if the Entry/Exit System toggles between biometric and manual processing.
Corporate mobility managers should therefore brief travellers that procedures may oscillate between digital and manual checks throughout the summer, and build longer connection buffers when itineraries route via France.
In the longer run, ADP says it remains committed to EES and will expand Parafe e-gates to interface with the new database once reliability improves.
Observers view the showdown as an important stress-test of the EU’s willingness to give member states operational flexibility while still meeting security objectives.
