British passengers returning home via European airports have been advised to arrive three hours before their flights due to new EU border checks causing significant queues. The EU entry-exit system (EES), which replaced passport stamps with digital registration, became fully operational last month and has led to delays at border checks, airports report.
Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan told the BBC that while usual advice is to arrive two hours before a flight, passengers should now allow three hours due to additional passport checks. She noted that the impact is fragmented across Europe, with seamless travel in some areas but long queues at hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, and France.
Moynihan advised passengers to bring portable chargers and water, and to allow several hours between connecting flights. The European airports association, ACI Europe, reported that queues at 45 airports in 20 EU states reached up to 3.5 hours at peak times, with the situation deteriorating.
Last week, French police temporarily suspended EES checks at the port of Dover as thousands faced long delays. A port spokesperson welcomed the use of a clause allowing checks to be relaxed. The European Commission said EES registration typically takes about a minute and that other factors could also cause delays.
