In addition to the natural connectivity problems caused by the war in the Middle East, European airlines must face technological problems this summer. The entry into operation of the European Entry and Exit System (EES) has generated considerable delays in several countries, with waits of up to 6 hours for a flight.
The EES was designed to strengthen Europe’s security by keeping a more rigorous electronic record of visitors, and gradually came into operation in mid-2025.
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This was one of the most challenging points mentioned by Rafael Schvartzman, vice-president for Europe of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a press conference during the entity’s assembly in Rio de Janeiro.
He stated that a recognition procedure that took 20 to 25 seconds with the old software now takes at least 90 seconds — when there are no technical problems.
Both news about the war and cases of delays of several hours have made European consumers opt for traveling to closer locations during their holidays this year, especially within the European Union itself. “The current situation is far from ideal. But the European market is very competitive”, he commented.
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Schvartzman did not go into many details about the price of aviation fuel, which will be the subject of a specific panel tomorrow at the 82nd IATA Annual Assembly, but mentioned that today the QAV represents 45% of the companies’ costs. However, he removed the risk of shortages for companies on the continent.
He mentioned that companies are trying to get through this period with measures such as making flights more flexible and cost rationalization. “We need to think about resilience as a whole. We need to talk about taxes, tariffs and improving efficiency. The entire ecosystem needs to improve.
The Journalist traveled at the invitation of IATA.
