The Council's 2018 adoption of the ETIAS regulation created the legal basis for the EU's planned pre-travel screening system. It clarified who would need an authorisation, how applications would be checked and why approval would still not guarantee entry.
When ETIAS starts, airlines and sea carriers will need to confirm that visa-exempt passengers hold a valid authorisation before departure. Coach operators have a longer transition, but travellers across all modes can still face boarding refusals or border checks if ETIAS is missing.
In February 2024, IATA described EES and ETIAS as a major operational change for airlines, not just a policy update for travellers. The industry body focused on system scope, manual checks and transition periods that could complicate boarding decisions.
Airports can lower EES-related delays by combining technology with practical queue management. A coordinated plan across staffing, terminal design, and passenger messaging is central to resilient border operations.
IATA has publicly opposed the UK's plan to raise the ETA fee by 60% only days after the system's wider introduction. The group says the move clashes with tourism growth goals and adds another cost on top of existing air travel taxes.
EU Home Affairs Ministers have endorsed a revised rollout plan for two major travel systems. The Entry/Exit System will go live in October 2025, while the European Travel Information and Authorisation System will launch in late 2026, supported by transitional and grace periods.
From late 2026, non-EU travellers flying to Europe will need an ETIAS travel authorisation before boarding. Learn how the system works at airports, on arrival, and during international transits.
Brexit did not end travel between the UK and Europe, but it made it more restrictive, more administrative and often more expensive. British travellers now face tighter passport rules, stay limits, added border friction and fewer of the practical conveniences they once took for granted.
UK travellers visiting Europe should prepare for a new border process from October 2025. The EU's Entry/Exit System will gradually reshape checks at airports, ports and land crossings across the Schengen area.
The first wave of EES disruption may not hit where passengers expect. According to the source analysis, airports with a steady flow of non-Schengen arrivals are more vulnerable than those that receive traffic in easier-to-manage peaks.