A family travelling from Newcastle International Airport to Malaga and back found the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) caused minimal delays, despite warnings of long queues. The outbound journey took 34 minutes from joining the queue to leaving the airport, and the return e-gate process took less than five minutes.
Outbound Journey to Malaga
The family, including a 12-year-old daughter, flew with Jet2 on Monday, August 10. They departed Newcastle at 7.05am after a smooth check-in and security process, arriving at Malaga earlier than expected at 11.05am.
Joining the non-EU citizens queue at 11.14am, they proceeded to a registration terminal where photographs and fingerprints were taken. Questions covered length of stay, proof of sufficient funds, and evidence of these. The registration finished by 11.28am for all three travellers.
Passing through e-gates with passport scans by 11.35am, they collected their suitcase and were in a taxi by 11.48am—a total of 34 minutes from queue start.
Return Journey and E-Gates
On the return flight on Sunday, August 16, the family arrived at Malaga airport at 10.40am for a 1.05pm departure. Check-in and security were completed by 10.57am, with a long but moving security queue due to multiple screening checkpoints.
After shopping for about an hour, they joined the non-EU citizens line at 12.03pm. Their daughter, having recently turned 12, qualified for the e-gates; families with children under 12 were directed to a visibly longer queue.
The e-gates were cleared by 12.07pm—less than five minutes of queueing. No delays were encountered, and the family arrived back in Newcastle earlier than expected.
Variable Wait Times Expected
Wait times can vary depending on travel day, time, and airport congestion. The family noted their personal journey went smoothly both ways, but other travellers may experience different conditions.
