Airline and airport industry groups have called for the new European Union biometric border check system to be suspended during the summer 2025 holiday period. ACI Europe, Airlines 4 Europe, and the International Air Transport Association sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requesting the suspension.

In the letter, the groups stated: "We have reached a critical point." They added: "Passengers have already been forced to queue for extended periods outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough." The groups noted: "Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, while passengers are stuck in border control queues."

Some planes have delayed takeoff while waiting for passengers, and some flights have left passengers behind. Queues linked to the new system have reached up to five hours during peak travel times. The system requires non-EU citizens to register fingerprints and a photograph at their destination airport upon arrival and has been introduced gradually since October.

The industry groups requested that the European Commission allow airports to completely suspend these checks during July and August whenever passenger volumes exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities. They stated: "Some international travellers are reconsidering trips to Europe because of the prospect of excessive border delays." The groups also said: "This is undermining Europe's reputation, European tourism and connectivity, in particular." They added: "The reputation of the European Union and the confidence in the regulatory framework are … at stake."

The groups further requested flexibility to continue suspending checks from September under clearly defined exceptional circumstances. Rules that currently allow for some flexibility to skip certain checks are scheduled to be phased out in September. European airports are projected to handle approximately 40 million more passengers in July and August compared to the preceding two months. The groups said the ability to suspend the new border checks is needed until there are enough staff to make the system work and automated kiosks are sufficiently reliable. They stated: "The commission and the member states must take stock of the reality of the current situation and of what our air transport system will face over the coming weeks."