British holidaymakers have been advised to arrive at European airports three hours before their flight home due to queue chaos caused by the European Union's new digital Entry/Exit System (EES). Wizz Air boss Yvonne Moynihan urged Brits to allow extra time, bring water, and charge their phones before travelling.
New EU Border Checks Cause Delays
Airports across Europe have reported long queues and passengers missing flights since the introduction of the EES. The system, first launched in October last year, requires most short-term visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area to register biometric data, including facial scans and fingerprints, each time they enter or leave the Schengen zone. Although it was meant to become fully operational at all European border points from April 10, the rollout has caused significant delays.
Wizz Air's Advice
Ms Moynihan told the BBC that while many airports offer seamless travel, lengthy delays have occurred at popular holiday hotspots. She advised travellers to allow an extra hour on top of the standard two-hour arrival time, and to prepare for queues at destination airports. “When you land in the destination airport, there might be queues, so you should bring a portable charger or water,” she said. She also noted that biometric data must be validated when leaving the EU, so similar delays can occur on return flights.
Impact Across Europe
In April, Airports Council International reported a “continued deterioration in waiting times at border crossing points” where EES has been introduced, with delays regularly reaching up to two hours at peak times, and some airports reporting queues of three and a half hours. The trade body expects conditions to worsen as summer approaches, particularly in Germany, France, Iceland, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
Some countries have already taken action. Greece has suspended EES rules for UK holidaymakers until September, while Portugal is waving passengers through when queues become too long. Italy is expected to follow suit. French officials at Dover paused EES checks during the bank holiday weekend as thousands of Brits travelled to the continent.
European Commission Response
The European Commission insists the system is working well at “almost all border crossing points” and that individual countries are responsible for efficient implementation. To address issues, some states are increasing staff levels. Portugal, for example, plans to deploy 360 more border officers at its airports from July.
Ms Moynihan fears matters will worsen over summer and is calling for more states to suspend the rules during peak periods. However, she noted that a recent trip to Mallorca during half-term encountered no queues and had plenty of self-service kiosks available.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary accused the EU of punishing British holidaymakers over Brexit with the new checks, calling the system a “shambles” and citing significant disruption at passport control since its introduction.
The European Commission has allowed biometric registration to be suspended at specific border points for limited periods until September in cases of exceptional circumstances leading to excessive waiting times. The Association of British Travel Agents advises tourists to use the EES app to register biometric data in advance.
