Rome Airports Warn of Summer Queue Risks Due to EES: What Tourists Need to Know

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
28.07.2026 01:20

Rome Airports Warn of Summer Queue Risks Due to EES: What Tourists Need to Know

Lead: Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports may become some of the most noticeable tests for the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) during the summer season. Aeroporti di Roma management warns that the full application of biometric procedures for all eligible passengers during peak weeks could create excessive pressure on passport control. For tourists, this does not mean a ban on traveling to Italy, but it does mean that the time for arrival, transfers, and departures from Rome should be planned much more carefully.

What Happened

On June 25, European and British media reported warnings from Aeroporti di Roma, the company that manages the capital's main air gateways: Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport and the smaller Ciampino Airport. According to these reports, the operator fears that during the peak summer season, the new biometric registration system at the external borders of the Schengen Area may not handle the passenger flow without flexible application or temporary relaxation of some procedures.

This refers to the Entry/Exit System, or EES, an EU system for the digital recording of entries and exits of third-country nationals arriving in the Schengen Area for short-term stays. The European Commission previously explained that EES replaces traditional passport stamps with a digital record of entry, exit, or refusal of entry. For some travelers, this also involves the collection of biometric data, including facial images and fingerprints.

The system itself is not a purely Italian innovation. It applies to the external borders of countries participating in the Schengen Area and was gradually launched starting from October 2025. According to the European Commission, EES became fully operational on April 10, 2026. This is why the first full summer season after the system's deployment has become critically important for airports, airlines, and passengers.

Who This Affects

Primarily, EES affects citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who enter the Schengen Area for short-term stays, typically up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This may include tourists, business travelers, people visiting family, or passengers on short trips without a long-term residence permit.

For citizens of the EU, EEA, and Switzerland, as well as for certain categories of residents and exceptions, the system does not operate in the same way. The official Fiumicino airport page explains that EES does not apply to EU, Swiss, and EEA citizens, holders of long-term residence permits, and some other exceptional categories. Therefore, before traveling, it is important not to rely on general social media posts, but to check your own status, passport, visa or visa-free conditions, and the rules of your specific route.

For tourists from countries with visa-free entry to the Schengen Area, the new procedure does not cancel the right to travel, but adds digital monitoring of the stay. For those who require a visa, EES does not replace the visa and does not grant automatic permission to cross the border. The border officer continues to make the decision on entry, and the system records the relevant data.

Why Rome is in Focus

Rome in the summer is one of Europe's most popular destinations: the city combines classic city breaks, pilgrimage routes, cruise trips via Civitavecchia, holidays in Italy, and transfers to domestic and long-haul flights. The greatest load falls on Rome-Fiumicino Airport (FCO), which serves the majority of international flights, while Ciampino is often used by low-cost carriers and shorter European routes.

During peak weeks, even a small increase in time per passenger can quickly turn into long queues. If some travelers are undergoing biometric registration for the first time, staff must not only check documents but also ensure correct reading and saving of data. In theory, the system should simplify future border crossings, but in practice, the first stage for a passenger may be longer than the usual passport stamp.

This is why the warning from the Rome operator is important not only for those flying to Rome for a holiday. It highlights a broader problem: Europe's largest tourist airports are entering the high season with a new procedure that depends on technology, staff, passport control hall capacity, and passenger readiness.

What Industry Organizations Say

The warning from Rome coincides with earlier signals from the aviation industry. As early as February 2026, ACI EUROPE, Airlines for Europe, and IATA drew attention to the fact that EES is already causing significant delays for passengers and that without sufficient flexibility in the summer months, serious disruptions are possible. In that appeal, the organizations spoke of the risk of queues lasting up to four hours or more during peak periods if all registrations become mandatory without proper adaptation.

Among the reasons for delays, industry organizations cited a lack of staff at border control, technological issues related to automation, and the limited use of pre-registration tools. In other words, the problem is not limited to one airport or one country. It is a combination of new regulations, physical infrastructure, national implementation, and actual passenger flow.

At the same time, it is important to remain accurate: at the time of preparing this material, we are talking about warnings and the possibility of flexible application of procedures, not the complete cancellation of EES in Rome. Final decisions regarding temporary relaxation or the organization of border control depend not only on the airport operator but also on government authorities, border services, and EU norms.

What This Means for Travelers

For passengers, the main practical conclusion is simple: in the summer of 2026, on routes through Rome, as well as through other large airports in the Schengen Area, you should allow more time for formalities. This especially applies to the first entry into Schengen after the launch of EES, travel with children, group tours, passengers with short transfers, and those flying on separate tickets.

If you arrive in Rome from a non-Schengen country and then have a domestic or European flight, a short transfer may become riskier. Even if the airline formally sells the connection, a delay at passport control can affect luggage, boarding, or terminal changes. If tickets were bought separately, the responsibility for missing the second flight usually lies with the passenger.

For those departing from Rome after a holiday, it is useful to check the flight status in advance via the FCO airport online board, but not to treat the board as a replacement for a time buffer. It will show changes in departure time or gate, but does not guarantee that the control queue will be short. If the airline or tour operator advises arriving earlier, it is better to follow this advice during the EES season.

How to Reduce the Risk of Travel Problems

The safest strategy for a summer trip to Italy is to plan the route as if border formalities could take longer than in previous years. This does not mean that every tourist will stand in line for several hours, but it provides a buffer for local failures, slow kiosk operation, or a sudden surge of flights.

  • Check if EES applies to you, considering your citizenship, passport type, visa, or residence permit.
  • Avoid overly short transfers in Rome, especially if arriving from a non-Schengen country.
  • Keep documents, accommodation bookings, return tickets, and insurance handy to quickly answer standard border officer questions.
  • For early or late flights, consider staying overnight near the terminal: a selection can be checked on the hotels near Rome-Fiumicino Airport page.
  • If a quick trip to the city or cruise port is important after arrival, evaluate transfer or taxi options from FCO in advance, but leave a buffer for a potentially later exit from the control zone.
  • Do not buy non-refundable services with a very tight schedule on the day of arrival if your flight passes through the external border of Schengen.

Special attention should be paid to family travel. Children, elderly passengers, or people who are not confident in using automated kiosks may require more time. Group tourists are advised to check with their tour operator in advance whether possible delays have been taken into account when planning transfers, excursions, and check-ins.

Should You Change Your Plans for Rome

The current news is not a reason to automatically cancel a trip to Rome or avoid Italy. Fiumicino remains a large international hub, and EES is a pan-European procedure designed to strengthen external border control and more accurately track lengths of stay. The problem for tourists is not the fact of digital control itself, but how smoothly it will work under summer load.

For most travelers, the reasonable solution is not to give up the trip, but to remove unnecessary fragility from the route. It is better to choose a flight with a longer transfer, not to plan an important meeting immediately after arrival, have flexible hotel check-in and follow updates from the airport, airline, and official authorities. If the route is complex, it is worth comparing options via other European hubs, but remember that EES may affect not only Rome.

Conclusion

The warning from Aeroporti di Roma has become one of the most practical signals for tourists before the high season: the new EES system has already moved from formal regulation to a real part of the airport experience. For passengers from non-EU countries, this means more attention to documents, time for passport control, and connections. For the tourism market, it is a test of whether European airports can combine border security with travel predictability in the most crowded months of the year.

The best advice for today: check official rules immediately before departure, do not make the route too tight, and allow additional time in Rome. If EES works stably, the time buffer will simply reduce stress. If a particular day proves to be difficult, this buffer may save a transfer, transfer, or the first day of vacation.