01 Dec 2025

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The EU Entry/Exit System: What It Means for Business Jet Operators – and How Leon Software + PnrGo Can Help

Efficiency, Safety, Cyber Security & Compliance with Leon Software

The European Union is in the middle of the biggest change to its external border controls in decades. The new Entry/Exit System (EES) is replacing manual passport stamping with a fully digital, biometric system specifically for non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay on short-term visas with single or double entry in 29 European countries.

Other categories of travellers will be covered by subsequent systems, such as ETIAS for visa-exempt travellers and the Visa Information System (VIS) for long-stay visas, residence permits, transit visas and multiple-entry visas. (Migration and Home Affairs)

For business jet and charter operators, this isn’t just an airline problem – it will reshape how you plan, brief and process passengers and crew at FBOs all across Europe. The penalties for not complying with the regulation will be quite significant, but the system gives operators the ability to check PAX entry eligibility before the flight, minimizing operational risk.

Below is a practical overview of what EES is, how the 2025–2026 rollout affects you, and why an integrated Leon Software + PnrGo setup is a very strong answer to the new compliance and workflow load.

What is the EU Entry/Exit System (EES)?

EES is an automated IT system created by Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 to register entry, exit and refusal-of-entry data for third-country nationals (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) crossing the external borders of the Schengen states. (EUR-Lex)

In practical terms, EES will:

Replace passport stamps with a digital record of each border crossing
Automatically track the 90/180-day rule for short-stay visitors, highlighting overstays and helping authorities identify “over-stayers” quickly. (EUR-Lex)
Capture biometrics (facial image; fingerprints) and biographical data (passport, nationality, etc.) (EUR-Lex)
Support law-enforcement access under strict conditions for combating terrorism and serious crime. (EUR-Lex)

The system is operated by eu-LISA, the EU agency that also runs systems like SIS and Eurodac. (Migration and Home Affairs)

Timeline: When Does It Actually Hit Operators?

After multiple delays, EES:

Entered into operation on 12 October 2025 at many external border points
Is being rolled out gradually at airports and other border crossings
Is expected to be fully implemented by 7 October 2026 across participating countries

The transition period started on 12 October 2025 and lasts until 7 October 2026. However, from 10 April 2026, the query of the Carrier Interface becomes mandatory. During this period, carriers need to manually verify stamps AND submit EES queries to determine the real passenger status.

For operators, 2026 is the year when you can no longer assume “business as usual” at Schengen external borders.

How Does EES Change the Border Experience?

For your passengers and crew (who are non-EU nationals), EES means:

Biometric capture at first entry
- Facial image
- Fingerprints
Longer initial processing than a simple passport stamp – early reports show 1.5–3× longer in some locations during ramp-up (com)
Automated calculation of remaining stay under the 90/180-day rule, visible to border guards (and sometimes to travelers online) (EUR-Lex)

For operators , the big change is data and process :

Authorities will expect accurate pre-arrival data to be transmitted electronically
Carrier systems must be able to interface with eu-LISA programmes (EES now, ETIAS later) – in addition to existing PNR/API obligations

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How does EES work with Leon Software and PnrGo?

What happensif PAX hasa territorial visa?

I’m sure my PAX is greenlighted for entry. Can I bring them?

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Why Business Jet Operators Are Directly Impacted

EES is often explained in an airline context, but business aviation is squarely in scope:

All operators carrying passengers into most European countries – including non-scheduled and business aviation – are required to register and comply with EES / eu-LISA programmes.
Industry bodies have been warning that business aviation cannot rely on exemptions and must prepare just like airlines.

Key operational pain points for bizav

FBO vs. main terminal workflows

Many EES kiosks and biometric points are deployed in main terminals first. General aviation terminals may need new routes or shared facilities, affecting:

VIP experience
Minimum connection / transfer times
Tech stops and quick turns

Short-notice trips and last-minute pax changes

Bizav is heavily last-minute by nature
EES, together with PNR/API and future ETIAS checks, increases the risk of late rejections if data is wrong, incomplete or not transmitted in time (PnrGo)

Crew handling

EES mainly targets passengers / short-stay visitors, but crew movements are also closely scrutinized, and their status must be correctly coded in manifests and transmissions

Compliance & fines

As with PNR, failure to submit required data or carrying non-authorised passengers can lead to significant financial penalties and reputational risk.

All of this means that manual spreadsheets and ad-hoc email to handlers quickly become a liability.

Why Automation and System Integration Are Now Essential

To operate smoothly under EES, a business jet operator needs:

A single operational source of truth for flights, passengers and crew (your scheduling/ops system)
A specialized compliance gateway that:
- Transforms data into the right message formats for each state
- Talks to PNR, API, eu-LISA/EES and, soon, ETIAS endpoints
- Receives acks/errors back and exposes them clearly to ops teams (PnrGo)

Doing this “in house” is complex and expensive. That’s precisely the gap covered by Leon Software + PnrGo.

Leon Software + PnrGo:
A Natural EES-Ready Stack

Who’s who

Leon Software is a dedicated platform for flight scheduling, crew management and ops in business aviation – your day-to-day operational brain.

PnrGo is a cloud solution purpose-built to handle PNR, API, sanctions screening and eu-LISA/EES programmes for business and charter carriers. (PnrGo)

The two companies have already announced a joint eu-LISA solution, where Leon passes flight and passenger data to PnrGo to fulfil regulatory requirements for the new European border systems, and PnrGo automatically handles all eu-LISA queries, ensuring EES and ETIAS compliance for carriers.(leonsoftware.com)

How the integration works in practice

A robust Leon–PnrGo integration for EES-era compliance could follow this flow:

Flight creation in Leon
1. Ops creates / edits sectors (origin, destination, schedule, aircraft, crew)
2. PAX and crew details (passports, nationalities, contact data) are stored in Leon
Automated sync to PnrGo
1. On defined triggers (flight activation, ETD-X hours), Leon sends structured trip + PAX/crew data to PnrGo via API
2. Only changes are synced for last-minute updates (added pax, airport change, name corrections)
PnrGo validation & transformation
1. PnrGo validates completeness and format of required data (DOB, document validity, nationality, routing)
2. The system transforms the data into:
  - Required PNR and API messages
  - eu-LISA / EES-related messages
  - Future ETIAS pre-travel checks

Transmission to authorities
1. PnrGo sends data to national units / border authorities and to eu-LISA systems
2. It tracks each transmission (sent, accepted, rejected, pending)
Feedback loop into Leon
1. Statuses (OK EES, N/A, NOT OK EES) and error messages are pushed back to Leon
2. Leon UI shows per-leg compliance:
  - ✅ Ready / All checks passed
  - ⚠️ Warning / Missing data
  - ❌ Blocked / Do not board
Audit & reporting
1. PnrGo maintains the compliance audit trail
2. Leon focuses on operational visibility and decision support

Concrete Benefits for Business Jet Operators

With Leon + PnrGo tightly integrated, operators get:

Single point of data entry
1. Passenger and crew details are entered once in Leon
2. Everything else (PNR, API, EES, ETIAS in the future) is handled downstream by PnrGo
Reduced risk of non-compliance
1. Automated validation reduces human error in manifests
2. Data is transmitted at the right time in the right format to the right place
3. The operator has a clear visual compliance status per sector
Better handling of last-minute changes
1. Bizav-typical scenarios – adding a VIP 45 minutes before departure, switching routes, tech stops – can automatically trigger fresh transmissions without manual rework
Improved passenger experience at the border
1. Accurate pre-arrival data helps border authorities pre-screen travelers and can reduce processing friction, especially as EES stabilizes
2. Ops teams can warn passengers in advance if issues are detected
Future-proofing for ETIAS and beyond
1. PnrGo is built explicitly around API & PNR reporting, eu-LISA programmes (EES, ETIAS) and sanctions checking — operators are prepared for upcoming regulatory phases without re-architecting their systems.

Practical Next Steps for Operators Before Full 2026 Rollout

Map your flows
1. Identify which routes are Schengen external borders
2. Note where passengers currently pass border control (FBO vs. main terminal)
Review data quality in Leon (or your current ops system)
1. Are passport details, expiry, nationality and contact info systematically captured?
2. Are crew vs. pax clearly differentiated?
Engage with Leon & PnrGo
1. Discuss current integration options, timelines and your route structure
2. Clarify how EES and future ETIAS support will appear in your day-to-day workflow
Train your ops and crew
1. Educate teams on:
  - Who is subject to EES
  - Expected delays during first-time biometric enrollment
  - The importance of accurate manifests and timely data
Monitor regulatory updates
1. Keep an eye on EBAA, NBAA and official EU / eu-LISA communications – airport procedures will continue evolving through early 2026. (ebaa.org)

Conclusion

By early 2026, the EU’s Entry/Exit System will be a fixed part of the landscape for anyone flying into the Schengen Area – and that absolutely includes business jet operators.

Those who embed compliance into their existing scheduling and ops platforms will glide through the transition; those who treat EES as “just another formality” risk delays, refusals and fines.

An integrated Leon Software + PnrGo setup directly addresses the new reality: Leon as the operational hub, PnrGo as the regulatory gateway. Together, they give business and charter operators a clear, automated and future-proof way to stay compliant while keeping the passenger experience at the level your clients expect.