Airlines and airport bodies urged the European Commission and EU member states to grant immediate additional flexibility in operating the Schengen Entry Exit System (EES) after today marked the full rollout amid passenger disruptions and flight delays. The EC noted that, when functioning at full capacity, traveller registration takes about 70 seconds, yet reports from airports across the Schengen area show long border processing times due to mandatory registration of all third-country nationals as of 31 March and the end of the ability to suspend the system. Olivier Jankovec of ACI EUROPE and Ourania Georgoutsakou of A4E argued that border authorities should be allowed to suspend EES temporarily when waits grow excessive, stressing the need to protect operational efficiency and Europe’s travel-friendly image during peak season, especially given the Middle East crisis impacting air travel.