British travelers embarking on summer holidays are encountering significant delays and lengthy queues at several major European airports, attributed to the European Union's new Entry/Exit System (EES).

The EES, implemented on April 10, requires non-EU travelers to provide fingerprints and facial images upon entry into the Schengen zone. While intended to streamline border checks, the system has led to considerable disruption, with some passengers missing flights due to slow processing times.

Ryanair has identified 16 airports as 'recurring EES hotspots' where delays have been particularly severe. Popular destinations for British tourists such as Tenerife, Lanzarote, Alicante, and Malaga are among those affected. Other impacted cities include Madrid, Krakow, Budapest, Berlin, and Paris Beauvais.

Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, stated that many airports lack sufficient self-service kiosks, and border staffing and infrastructure are inadequate to handle peak passenger volumes. "The reality is that the EES system isn't working properly and families are paying the price for a system that does not work months after launch," McMahon said. The airline is urging passengers to allow extra time for travel and has called for EES flexibility to be extended until 2028 to allow airports to improve infrastructure and staffing.

Footage shared on social media has shown long queues at airports across Europe, including Rome, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Faro, and Brussels. Some airports are advising British travelers to arrive up to three hours before their flight. Wizz Air has suggested allowing an extra hour on top of the standard two-hour pre-flight arrival time.

Reports indicate that passport control wait times have tripled at some European airports since the EES rollout. This has led to instances of passengers missing flights. In April, approximately 100 EasyJet customers were delayed at Milan Linate Airport, with the flight eventually departing partially empty due to crew time limitations, a situation the airline described as "unacceptable" and outside its control.

The European Commission has stated that the impact of the EES has been