EES waiver ends, raising queue fears at Italy's airports

A rule allowing border guards to pause new EU biometric passport checks at busy times expired over the weekend, raising concerns about longer queues at Italy's airports, according to The Local Italy.

The report, published Monday, explains that the waiver had let border officials temporarily suspend the Entry/Exit System (EES) checks when queues became unmanageable. With the waiver now ended, the checks must be applied consistently, potentially slowing arrivals at peak times.

For Calabria, the change touches the region's ports and airports in specific ways. The port of Gioia Tauro, one of the Mediterranean's major transshipment hubs, and the airports at Lamezia Terme and Reggio Calabria handle travellers who will now face the full biometric checks on entry.

The Local Italy's report does not name specific airports or ports in Calabria, but it describes the enforcement as applying across the Schengen area's external borders, which include Italy's southern entry points. The report notes that the EES, which registers travellers' biometric data on entry and exit, has been rolled out gradually, with the waiver acting as a pressure valve during the transition.

A separate report from The Local Italy, also published Monday, asks whether the end of the waiver will mean longer queues at Italy's airports, framing the issue as one of practical concern for travellers and border authorities alike.

Calabria's position on the Mediterranean makes its border points particularly relevant to the EES rollout. The region's airports serve both domestic and international routes, and its ports, including Gioia Tauro, are part of the Schengen external frontier. Slower checks could affect not just tourism but also freight and logistics operations that depend on efficient movement of people and goods.

The timing is sensitive. The summer travel season has been marked by record heat and high passenger volumes, and the school year's start this week adds another layer of movement. The Local Italy's reporting suggests that border authorities are still adapting to the full enforcement, and that travellers should expect delays.

What the end of the waiver means in practice remains to be seen. The Local Italy does not report on specific incidents of long queues since the waiver expired, but it notes that the checks are now mandatory at all times, leaving border guards with less flexibility to manage sudden surges in arrivals.