Cyprus’s airports are experiencing no problems from the automated system now recording the entry and exit of non-EU nationals across the Schengen area, even as the mechanism has caused chaos at several European airports for days.
The Entry/Exit System, known as EES, is a digital scheme that records when travellers enter and leave the Schengen area for short stays. It collects biometric data, including facial images and fingerprints, alongside personal details from travel documents.
Sources told Phileleftheros that Cyprus remains outside Schengen and has not installed the system, meaning traditional passport checks continue at its airports. EES is now operating at the external borders of all 29 countries in the free-movement zone except Cyprus and Ireland. It is also not in use in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway. Travelers from certain countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Latin American states, do not need a visa but remain subject to EES checks. Citizens of EU and Schengen states are exempt from the checks, as are nationals of Andorra, San Marino, the Vatican City and Monaco.
Cyprus monitoring Schengen accession
Phileleftheros understands that Cyprus’s relevant authorities are monitoring developments, as the country has already begun the process of joining the Schengen zone. UK citizens are subject to EES checks, a factor expected to place significant strain on Cyprus’s airports once the country applies the system, given that the UK is Cyprus’s largest source market for tourist arrivals.
Chaos at other European airports
According to international reports, airports and airlines are facing major disruption from the system as Europe enters the height of the tourist season. Waiting times at border checks have risen sharply, reaching up to five hours during peak periods in some cases, affecting millions of passengers. In a letter sent to the European Commission, associations representing airlines and airports said the situation has reached a critical point. Airlines for Europe, ACI Europe and the International Air Transport Association called for intervention and urged flexibility to allow the full suspension of EES during July and August. Phileleftheros has been told that Greece is facing serious problems in particular, especially at small regional airports on its islands, which lack the space and infrastructure to process checks under the new system within a relatively short timeframe.
The European Union has rejected the request from airports and airlines to suspend the new checks system, although it acknowledges that significant delays have built up at some points. EU officials say only 20 of around 1,500 border entry points are experiencing serious problems.
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