British passengers returning home via European airports should allow three hours before their flights due to delays caused by the EU's new entry-exit system (EES), according to Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan. The system, which replaced passport stamps with digital registration, became fully operational last month and has led to long queues at border checks in some airports.
Moynihan told the BBC that while the usual advice is to arrive two hours before a flight, “in these circumstances, we are advising three hours.” She noted that the impact is “fragmented across Europe,” with seamless travel in some cases but long queues at “usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France.”
The European airports association ACI Europe reported that queues have reached up to 3.5 hours at peak times, based on a survey of 45 airports in 20 EU states. Last week, French police temporarily suspended EES checks at the port of Dover as thousands of holidaymakers faced delays in hot weather.
Moynihan advised passengers to bring portable chargers and water, and to allow several hours between connecting flights. The European Commission said EES registration typically takes about a minute, but other factors can also cause delays.
