EU warns of delays as airlines operate half-empty flights under new border checks
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7 days · 2 summary articles
EU warns of delays as airlines operate half-empty flights under new border checks
Rome airports warn EU: suspend biometric checks or face summer travel collapse
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European airports and airlines warned on 2 July 2026 that the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is causing severe delays just as the summer travel peak begins, forcing carriers to operate half-empty flights and leaving passengers stranded in queues. Industry groups called for immediate flexibility to suspend the digital border checks, citing “unsustainable” conditions at major hubs across the continent.
Airports Council International Europe said long queues at passport control were preventing passengers from reaching departure gates in time, with carriers reporting load factors as low as 50 % on intercontinental routes. “Planes are taking off half empty because travellers are stuck in EES queues,” the council’s director general told TVP World on 2 July 2026.
The European Travel Retail Council added that retail revenue at airports had fallen by up to 40 % during peak hours as passengers missed flights or abandoned shopping after hours-long waits. “This is not just an inconvenience—it is an economic shock to the travel ecosystem,” a council spokesman said.
EU officials acknowledged the system’s teething problems but insisted the EES would improve long-term security. On 2 July 2026, the European Commission reiterated that no blanket suspension was envisaged, while leaving the door open for temporary regional derogations if national authorities requested them.
Separate disruptions on 2 July 2026 saw a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 trigger a hijack alert over Bulgarian airspace after pilots accidentally transmitted the emergency code 7500. Turkish F-16s escorted the aircraft to Burgas, where it landed safely; the airline attributed the incident to pilot error.
Meanwhile, Croatia advanced infrastructure plans on 2 July 2026 to expand the Zagreb–Karlovac motorway with EU funding, adding a third lane to ease summer holiday traffic. The €240 million project is expected to cut journey times by up to 30 % during the peak season.
Across the Baltics, tourism officials reported a 12 % year-on-year increase in arrivals for the first half of 2026, attributing the surge to improved air connectivity and competitive pricing. Latvia’s Riga Airport handled 2.1 million passengers in the first six months, up from 1.8 million in the same period of 2025.
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