Travel-industry portal *Travel and Tour World* reports that tour operators and ferry lines spent the first day of November fielding anxious calls from passengers after French authorities ordered a last-minute pause to the EU Entry/Exit System at Dover. Trade bodies ABTA and UKinbound described the suspension as “a relief for the weekend, but a planning headache for the peak ski season if clarity doesn’t come quickly”.
Unlike the Reuters bulletin that focused on the port’s operational readiness, the trade-press piece highlights commercial impacts: coach companies have delayed ticket-release dates for February half-term, and a large car-rental broker says it may relocate inventory to Portsmouth if Dover bottlenecks materialise later in the winter. A spokesperson for P&O Ferries called for an agreed activation window “at least four weeks in advance so that timetables, staffing rosters and API integrations can be locked”.
![Travel trade warns of holiday uncertainty as EU border-tech launch at Dover put on ice]()
The article also notes that the phased EES timetable gives member states until April 2026 for full coverage, raising the prospect of staggered rules across exit points. Corporate travel managers are advised to brief drivers on potential first-time enrolment delays at any Channel port and to monitor carrier communications closely. First-time enrolment is expected to require fingerprint and facial scans; subsequent crossings should be quicker, but only if the same passport is presented.
With the UK gearing up to launch its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for non-visa nationals in 2026, many businesses now face the prospect of dual digital-border regimes on outbound and inbound legs. Travel-policy updates and employee-experience messaging will therefore become a year-end priority.
Unlike the Reuters bulletin that focused on the port’s operational readiness, the trade-press piece highlights commercial impacts: coach companies have delayed ticket-release dates for February half-term, and a large car-rental broker says it may relocate inventory to Portsmouth if Dover bottlenecks materialise later in the winter. A spokesperson for P&O Ferries called for an agreed activation window “at least four weeks in advance so that timetables, staffing rosters and API integrations can be locked”.
The article also notes that the phased EES timetable gives member states until April 2026 for full coverage, raising the prospect of staggered rules across exit points. Corporate travel managers are advised to brief drivers on potential first-time enrolment delays at any Channel port and to monitor carrier communications closely. First-time enrolment is expected to require fingerprint and facial scans; subsequent crossings should be quicker, but only if the same passport is presented.
With the UK gearing up to launch its own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for non-visa nationals in 2026, many businesses now face the prospect of dual digital-border regimes on outbound and inbound legs. Travel-policy updates and employee-experience messaging will therefore become a year-end priority.
