British passengers returning home via European airports should allow three hours before their flights, an airline boss has advised, as the new EU entry-exit system (EES) causes significant delays at border checks. The system, which replaces passport stamps with digital registration, became fully operational last month after a gradual rollout since October 2025.
Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan told the BBC that while standard advice is to arrive two hours before a flight, “in these circumstances, we are advising three hours.” She noted that the impact of the biometric checks for non-EU citizens is “fragmented across Europe,” with long queues at “usual hotspots such as Spain, Portugal, France,” though some airports have seen “seamless travel.”
Moynihan, who experienced no queues on her own trip to Mallorca, recommended passengers bring portable chargers and water, and allow extra time 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 on 26 May, with the situation “deteriorating.”
Last week, French police temporarily suspended EES checks at the Port of Dover under an emergency clause, as thousands faced long delays in hot weather. The European Commission said registration typically takes about a minute and that other factors also contribute to delays.
