The European Union has rejected calls from airlines and airports to suspend the continent's troubled new digital entry/exit system (EES) amid the peak summer travel period.
Despite acknowledging some 20 "difficult spots," according to The Guardian, officials argue that a full suspension of EES is "not needed" and "not possible."
The new system, which took full effect in April, requires non-EU travelers to register fingerprints and facial images the first time they enter the Schengen zone before having their biometrics verified every time they leave and re-enter.
The rollout has been clunky, to say the least, and is threatening to derail summer travel.
"The current implementation of the EES is creating severe operational consequences, disrupting passengers and putting border authorities, airports and airlines under unsustainable pressure," Airports Council International (ACI) Europe wrote in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on July 1. "We therefore urge your immediate intervention before the situation deteriorates further during the peak summer travel season."
EU officials have since countered that the vast majority of the 1,500 border crossing points are running smoothly. As for the 20 "difficult spots," the EU plans to put pressure on those member states to implement new measures to streamline operations.
"I think we have recurrent progressive improvements everywhere," an EU official told The Guardian.
The news comes as reports have emerged that the EU will further delay the rollout of its European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) until next year.
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