British holidaymakers are being advised to arrive at European airports three hours before their flight home departs, as post-Brexit EU border checks continue to cause lengthy queues. Yvonne Moynihan, managing director of Wizz Air UK, warned that delays through passport control due to the new Entry Exit System (EES) have caused some passengers to miss return or connecting flights.
Entry Exit System Rollout
The EES, which began its rollout in October last year, requires travellers from outside the European Union to register biometric information when entering the Schengen Area. This zone comprises 29 European countries, mostly within the EU. Since the rollout, more than 44.5 million entries and exits have been registered. Over 24,000 individuals have been refused entry, with more than 600 assessed as security threats to the Union, according to the European Commission.
Fragmented Impact Across Europe
Ms Moynihan told the BBC that while some travel has been seamless, the impact of the new checks is fragmented across Europe, with long queues at usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, and France. Wizz Air has been advising passengers to prepare for long waits. When landing at a destination airport, queues may be encountered, so travellers should bring a portable charger or water, she said.
The travel boss added that there is a risk of queues on return flights to the UK as EES information must be verified on exit. While people are typically advised to arrive two hours before departure, we are now advising three hours, she said, because the additional passport check has led to longer waiting times than anticipated.
Border Officials Suspending Checks
Border officials have been proactively suspending EES checks if long waits build up. Greece has already suspended biometric checks for British citizens at its borders to prevent summer disruption. French authorities also suspended extra EU border checks over the bank holiday weekend to ease waits after Saturday saw holidaymakers facing hours-long queues at the Port of Dover. By late Saturday afternoon, the port reported free-flowing traffic on its peak day of the May half-term getaway weekend.
Industry Calls for Suspension
Olivier Jankovec, director general of the European Region of the Airports Council International, and Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Airlines for Europe, issued a joint statement calling on the European Commission and member states to fully or partially suspend EES where operationally necessary this summer. They stated that the combination of full registration requirements and reduced operational flexibility is expected to place unprecedented strain on border control operations.
A European Commission spokesperson said the organisation is aware of the concerns expressed and has been engaging constructively with the industry. With the system operating well, it takes only 70 seconds to register an entry or exit, the spokesperson added.
