Rome airports threaten to suspend EU border checks to avert summer travel collapse

Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports have warned they may suspend the EU's new Entry-Exit System (EES)—a biometric border-control regime introduced this year—to avoid what the airports' management called a "disaster" during peak summer months. The Guardian reported on Thursday that the head of the company managing both airports said suspending the system for non-EU citizens was the only viable option to prevent severe congestion and travel delays when tourism reaches its annual peak.

The EES requires all non-EU travellers to provide fingerprints and facial scans at entry and exit, a measure designed to strengthen EU border security and track movement. However, the system's implementation has created operational bottlenecks at major airports across Europe, and Rome's terminals—which handle millions of tourists annually—face particular strain given Italy's position as one of the continent's primary tourist destinations. The Local Italy reported the airports' concerns on Thursday, quoting management as "very worried" about the system's impact on summer travel flows.